Hazard Exposures for Mechanized Logging Systems in the US South

Abstract

Logging is a very dangerous occupation with high injury and fatality rates. The logging industry in the U.S is dynamic and has substantial variability by region. This research focuses on the hazard exposures for mechanized logging systems in the U.S. Characteristics, causes, consequences, and interventions of injury and illness in mechanized logging were identified and summarized. Due to the inadequacy of surveillance data for logging, workers compensation claims data from 12 southern U.S. states from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) were analyzed to find injury rate and trend data. Results revealed terrain and product harvest that indicated motor manual felling and processing affected logging injury and fatality rate and trends.