LOGGING SAFETY
ShareCompartir
NOTE: This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated.
Logging has consistently been one of the most hazardous industries in the United States (US). In 2010, the logging industry employed 95,000 workers, and accounted for 70 deaths. This results in a fatality rate of 73.7 deaths per 100,000 workers that year. This rate is over 21 times higher than the overall fatality rate in the US in 2010 (3.4 deaths per 100,000). This excessive risk for fatal work injuries points to a need for prioritizing research and intervention programs to make this industry less hazardous.
Resources
Publications
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Logger Safety Training Program
Journal of Safety Research: January 2006 / 37(1):53-61
Mechanical Timber Harvesting Reduces Workers&apos Compensation Injury Claims in West Virginia
NIOSH Publication No. 2005-129 (May 2005)
Non-fatal injuries in the West Virginia logging industry: Using workers&apos compensation claims to assess risk from 1995 through 2001
American Journal of Industrial Medicine: November 2003 / 44(5):502-509
Logging injuries for a 10-year period in Jilin Province, People&aposs Republic of China
Journal of Safety Research: August 2003 / 34(3):273-279
Changes in logging injury rates associated with use of feller-bunchers in West Virginia
Journal of Safety Research: Winter 2002 / 33(4):463-471
Helicopter Logging Safety: Alaska Interagency Working Group for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries
NIOSH Publication No. 98-147 (July 1998)
This monograph incorporates proceedings and recommendations from three Helicopter Safety Workshops (conducted in 1995, 1996, and 1997) as well as useful background materials on safety in the helicopter logging industry.
Logging safety and forest management education - A necessary link
Journal of Forestry: July 1996 / 94(7):21-25
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Logging Standard: what it means for forest managers
Journal of Forestry: November 1995 / 93(11):34-37
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Loggers
NIOSH Publication No. 95-101 (May 1995)
This Alert describes six incidents resulting in the deaths of six workers who were performing logging operations. In each incident, the death could have been prevented by using proper safety procedures and equipment and by following the provisions of the OSHA standards.
En Español
Logging fatalities in the United States by region, cause of death, and other factors - 1980-1988
Journal of Safety Research: 1994 / 25:97-105
Interpreting Logging Injury Statistics
1992 International Winter Meeting, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Nashville, TN, 15-18 Dec. 1992
Fosbroke DE, Myers JR,.1992, Paper No. 92-7509
Job Injuries Among Loggers
NIOSH Publication No. 83-104 (January 1983)
This report uses information from four data systems, the National Health Interview Survey, the Social Security Administration Continuous Disability History File, workers compensation and mortality studies from Washington and California to describe nonfatal and fatal injuries among U.S. loggers.
NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Logging from Felling to First Haul
NIOSH Publication No. 76-188 (July 1976)
This report presents the recommended standard prepared to meet the need for preventing occupational injuries and deaths in logging operations. The proposed standard includes the operations of felling, bucking, limbing, yarding, and loading. Not included here are road, trail, bridge, and camp construction; equipment safety specifications and design; rigging specifications; chipping operations; transportation (hauling); or subsequent provisions after initial loading operations are accomplished.
Worker Safety in Logging Operations
NIOSH Publication No. 74-103 (April 1974)
This report presents the findings and recommendations for the purpose of identifying those operations within the logging industry which were most hazardous as evidenced by the number and severity of employee injuries.
Other NIOSH Publications Related to Logging Safety
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing National Academy of Science Evidence Report
National Academies Review (December 2006)
This report is the initial “evidence package” from NIOSH to the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Program evaluation committee assembled by the NA. We stress “initial” because we believe that the AFF Program review will be best-served by substantial communications between the program and the committee throughout the process. It is understood that the evaluation committee and the NA are charged with executing a thorough review of the program and that to do so it will need much information from the program. We have tried to anticipate those needs with this package. In addition, we look forward to an ongoing dialogue with the committee.
Identifying High-Risk Small Business Industries: The Basis for Preventing Occupational Injury, Illness, and Fatality: NIOSH Special Hazard Review
NIOSH Publication No. 99-107 (May 1999)
In this report, 253 small business industries were identified with data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the years 1994-1995. From the data for these industries, the top 25% (n=26) were ranked according to their injury, illness, and fatality experience. Of these, Logging (SIC 241) ranked the highest. This information can be used by the small business community, labor officials, occupational safety and health practitioners and agencies, and others to target prevention activities to small business industries with the greatest need.
Occupational Mortality in Washington State, 1950-1989
NIOSH Publication No. 96-133 (March 1997)
This study is the second update of Occupational Mortality in Washington State, 1950-1971, originally published by NIOSH in 1976. The first update published in 1983 covered the years 1950-1979. Total deaths for loggers for this time period was 20,915 and incidents related to falling objects, machinery, fire, and explosion all increased.
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Workers Using Portable Metal Ladders Near Overhead Power Lines
NIOSH Publication No. 89-110 (July 1989)
This Alert describes six deaths that occurred because portable aluminum ladders, which are electrical conductors, came in contact with energized overhead power lines. If nonconductive ladders had been used instead, or if safe working clearances had been maintained, these deaths might have been prevented.
En español
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Fatalities of Workers Who Contact Electrical Energy
NIOSH Publication No. 87-103 (December 1986)
This Alert describes recommendations that can be used to help save the lives of workers who contact electrical energy. Recent incidents have shown that electrocution victims can be revived if immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation is provided. While immediate defibrillation would be ideal, CPR given within approximately 4 minutes of the electrocution, followed by advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) measures within approximately 8 minutes, can be lifesaving.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program Investigations
Since the inception of the FACE program in 1982, fatal incidents involving logging operations have been investigated by NIOSH and State investigators. These links provide lists of those cases which in turn links to the full-text.
Literature Search
NIOSHTIC-2 search results on Logging
NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH.
Other Logging Safety Resources
- Page last reviewed: July 13, 2012 (archived document)
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Safety Research