Causes of accidents at work in the opinions of public sector forestry employees in Poland.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was recognition of opinions of forestry employees concerning causes of accidents in forestry, and evaluation of which of the selected demographic characteristics of forestry employees are associated with their opinions concerning causes of occupational accidents. An attempt was also undertaken to answer the question whether there is any relationship between the opinions of forestry employees pertaining to the causes of accidents at work, and observance of the OSH principles concerning the use of protection measures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey included 135 forestry employees and conducted by using an author-constructed questionnaire containing items which primarily concerning the causes of accidents at work and the protection measures applied. The opinions of forestry employees pertaining to the causes of accidents were analyzed according to independent variables, such as: workplace, period of employment, age, education level, and an index of the level of the respondents' concern about OSH (index of the use of personal protection measures by the respondents). The significance of differences between the subgroups selected according to the above-mentioned variables was assessed using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Forestry employees most frequently indicated such causes of accidents as the lack of e use of protection equipment (63.7%), bravado and neglecting hazards (63%), as well as entering or staying in a danger zone during tree felling (56.3%). Nearly a half of the respondents (48.1%) mentioned as the cause of accidents the improper and self-willed behaviour of an employee. The respondents additionally mentioned being taken by surprise by an unexpected event (40%), and the inadequate state of machinery, equipment, and vehicles (36.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of the study concerning the causes of accidents in forestry, it was found that the examined forestry employees show high awareness and knowledge concerning the causes of occupational accidents in forestry. The greatest differences in the way of perceiving the causes of accidents and hazards were observed according to the respondents' period of employment and age. In addition, a relationship was observed between indication by the respondents of specified causes of accidents, and the scope of their use of protection measures.

Effect of cutting tool with micro-pits texture on wood cutting performance.

A reasonable micro-pits texture has been initially proved that it can improve friction characteristics between wood and cemented carbide surface and reduce surface friction coefficient. In order to study the cutting performance of the micro-texture when it is applied to the cutting tool for cutting wood more effectively, this paper selected micro-pit texture for studying influence of surface micro-texture cutting tool on wood cutting performance and cutting temperature, finding that when micro-pit cemented carbide cutting tool is adopted for turning the northeast China ash (Fraxinus spp.), it can reduce cutting force of turning and surface friction coefficient between rake face and cuttings. Moreover, for type A and type B cutting tools, when the texture parameters are that the diameter of the micro-pit is 80µm, the depth of the micro pit is: 10µm, area occupancy is 20% and the diameter of the micro-pit is 120µm, the depth of the micro-pit is 10µm and the area occupancy is 20%, the effect generated is the best. When a texture cutting tool is used for cutting, the decrease of the highest temperature in the cutting area is not very great, but the average temperature in the cutting area changes a lot, which is mainly caused by that micro-texture is processed at a position of the rake face close to the main cutting edge and that the highest temperature of cutting is mainly generated on the contact point between tool tip and wood. A reasonable micro-texture parameter can form a layer of liquid lubricating film on the up and down contact surfaces such that the direct contact between cemented carbide and northeast China ash is changed into indirect contact between lubricating films formed by the liquid so as to reduce the surface friction coefficient.

Safety in steep slope logging operations.

Partial results of a NIOSH-funded study for "Protecting the Logging Workforce: Development of Innovative Logging Techniques for a Safer Work Environment" by a team of researchers at Oregon State University are presented that review safety in steep slope logging. Comparisons are made for hazards and exposures of "conventional" and new technologies for steep slopes. Hazards of new technologies are identified. Safety assessments are addressed for forestry sectors internationally, for the firm and for workers. Important questions of technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental performance are raised. Ongoing research on operators using tethered and untethered systems are described. Results will help inform training and selecting operators. New Best Operating Practices and safety code regulations will result from the research. New technologies will reduce worker hazards and exposures for steep slope logging.

Applicability of personal laser scanning in forestry inventory.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has been widely used in forestry surveys in the form of airborne laser scanning (ALS), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and mobile laser scanning (MLS). The acquisition of important basic tree parameters (e.g., diameter at breast height and tree position) in forest inventory did not solve the problem of low measurement efficiency or weak GNSS signal under the canopy. A personal laser scanning (PLS) device combined with SLAM technology provides an effective solution for forest inventory under complex conditions with its light weight and flexible mobility. This study proposes a new method for calculating the volume of a cylinder using point cloud data obtained by a PLS device by fitting to a polygonal cylinder to calculate the diameter of the trunk. The point cloud data of tree trunks of different thickness were modeled using different fitting methods. The rate of correct tree trunk detection was 93.3% and the total deviation of the estimations of tree diameter at breast height (DBH) was -1.26 cm. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) of the estimations of the extracted DBH and the tree position were 1.58 cm and 26 cm, respectively. The survey efficiency of the personal laser scanning (PLS) device was 30m2/min for each investigator, compared with 0.91m2/min for the field survey. The test demonstrated that the PLS device combined with the SLAM algorithm provides an efficient and convenient solution for forest inventory.

Emergency Medical Services Pre-Hospital Care Reports as a Data Source for Logging Injury Surveillance.

Logging workers are at high risk of injury, and although data on fatal injuries exists, less is known about non-fatal injuries. The purpose of this study is to describe initial trends in logging morbidity in Maine and New Hampshire using pre-hospital care reports. Demographics and specifics of the event were recorded for each incident case. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed. Logging injuries (n = 70) were primarily due to trees, heavy equipment, and chainsaws. Interventions focused on heavy equipment safety (particularly slips, trips, and falls), and personal protective equipment use would be warranted based on the findings of this surveillance system. Our methods are able to capture traumatic injury in logging, in sufficient detail to prioritize interventions and to evaluate their outcomes. The system is low-cost and has the potential to be sustained over a long period.

Injury Rate Comparisons for Nonmechanized and Mechanized Logging Operations, Washington State, 2005-2014.

OBJECTIVES: Current industry classification systems in the United States do not differentiate mechanized and nonmechanized logging operations. The objectives of this article are to quantify injury risk differences between mechanized and nonmechanized logging operations in Washington State and to evaluate for potential injury risk tradeoffs, such as decreasing traumatic injuries while increasing nontraumatic injuries that might occur when mechanized logging operations are substituted for nonmechanized logging operations. METHODS: Using Washington State workers' compensation insurance risk classes to differentiate mechanized and nonmechanized logging operations, injury and illness claims data and employer reported hours were used to compare claim rates and to characterize injuries by type of logging operation. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2014, the accepted Washington State worker's compensation claim rate for nonmechanized logging was 46.4 per 100 full-time equivalent employees compared to 6.7 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) for mechanized logging activities. The rate ratio for comparing nonmechanized to mechanized logging claims rates for all accepted claims was 6.9 (95% Confidence Interval 6.4-7.5). Claim rates for traumatic injury and nontraumatic injuries in nonmechanized logging exceeded comparable rates in mechanized logging activities, although the distribution of types of injury differed by type of logging operation. A greater percentage of accepted claims in nonmechanized logging were traumatic injuries than in mechanized logging (92.2% vs. 85.0%, respectively). In addition, nonmechanized logging had higher total claim and medical costs per FTE and had a higher proportion of claims with lost work time than mechanized logging. CONCLUSION: Mechanized logging offers a considerable safety advantage over nonmechanized logging operations. Continued efforts to increase the mechanization of logging operations will result in decreased injury rates.

Phenotyping Whole Forests Will Help to Track Genetic Performance.

Phenotyping is the accurate and precise physical description of organisms. Accurate and quantitative phenotyping underpins the delivery of benefits from genetic improvement programs in agriculture. In forest trees, phenotyping at an equivalent precision has been impossible because trees and forests are large, long-lived, and highly variable. These facts have restricted the delivery of genetic gains in forestry compared to other agricultural sectors. We describe a landscape-scale phenotyping platform that integrates remote sensing, spatial information systems, and genomics to facilitate the delivery of greater gains enabling forestry to catch up with other sectors. Combining remote sensing at a range of spatial and temporal scales with genomics will ultimately impact on tree breeding globally.

Characteristics of hand injuries caused by powered wood splitters.

Accidents with powered wood splitters cause a distinct group of hand injuries in which the injury spectrum ranges from a minor lesion to mutilating defects. We studied these injuries in order to assess the consequences and estimate the associated costs. A 2-year cohort of patients was retrospectively identified from medical records. The details of the injuries and the treatment were collected, and estimates of the resources used were based on hospital billing and the average costs of sick leave and disability. A total of 67 patients were identified and seven of those were children. Most patients sustained a major hand injury and an emergency microsurgical operation was indicated in 40% of patients. The total cost associated with the injuries was estimated at €3.33 million (£2.56 million, US$3.62 million). The treatment of this relatively small number of injuries demands substantial medical resources, and most of the costs are due to sick leave and disability. Level of evidence IV.

A qualitative assessment of safe work practices in logging in the southern United States.

BACKGROUND: The logging industry is recognized as one of the most dangerous professions in the U.S., but little is known about safety management practices on remote logging sites. METHODS: A total of six focus group sessions were held among logging supervisors and front line crew members in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas (N = 27 participants). RESULTS: Participants perceived that logging was a dangerous profession, but its risks had been mitigated in several ways, most notably through mechanization of timber harvesting. Log trucking-related incidents were widely identified as the primary source of risk for injury and death on logging work sites. Human error, in general, and being out of the machinery on the work site were highlighted as additional sources of risk. CONCLUSIONS: Participants indicated high levels of personal motivation to work in a safe manner but tended to underestimate workplace hazards and expressed widely varying levels of co-worker trust. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:58-68, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Western Forestry Systems and Soviet Engineers, 1955-1964.

This article examines the transfer of technology from Finnish enterprises to Soviet industry during the USSR's period of technological modernization between 1955 and 1964. It centers on the forestry sector, which was a particular focus of modernization programs and a key area for the transfer of foreign techniques and expertise. The aim of the article is to investigate the role of trips made by Soviet specialists to foreign (primarily Finnish) enterprises in order to illustrate the nontechnological influences that occurred during the transfer of technologies across the cold war border. To do so, the article is divided into two parts: the first presents a general analysis of technology transfer from a micro-level perspective, while the second investigates the cultural influences behind technological transfer in the Soviet-Finnish case. This study contends that although the Soviet government expected its specialists to import advanced foreign technical experience, they brought not only the technologies and expertise needed for modernizing the industry, but also a changed view on Soviet workplace management and everyday practices.

Kickback risk of portable chainsaws while cutting wood of different properties: laboratory tests and deductions.

Portable chainsaws are associated with substantial risk and can cause serious injury to operators, especially during kickback. This paper presents new results from research and analyses conducted regarding the impact between the different properties of wood on this occurrence. In an open area, such differences may include: wood species, humidity, temperature and the facing angle of the wood fibres in relation to the kerf and shape of the wood surface that comes in contact with the tip of the guide bar. This paper investigates chainsaw kickback including the research results on kickback and wood-cutting energy, saw chain speed and the efficiency of the chainsaw engine. It also presents conclusions drawn from the tests that can be useful for chainsaw users, showing the dependencies between the different properties of wood and the risk of injury.

Neck injury patterns resulting from the use of petrol and electric chainsaws in suicides. Report on two cases.

Suicides due to neck injuries caused by chainsaws are uncommon events. The cutting elements of petrol and electric chainsaws produce different features in lethal neck injuries. The accurate evaluation of the death scene, of the power and mechanical characteristics of the chainsaw and of wound morphology are all essential in distinguishing a case of suicide.

Coupling forces resulting from the type of chain saw used.

INTRODUCTION: Woodcutters' working conditions are difficult due to the presence of numerous occupational hazards. Petrol-fuelled chain saws commonly used in forestry produce vibration, which may lead to the development of non-specific disorders in the upper extremities of the chain saw operator, referred to as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The magnitude of coupling forces exerted on a vibrating tool handle may affect the severity of HAVS and hand-wrist cumulative trauma disorders. The aim of the presented study was to measure coupling forces exerted by fellers on various chain saws and to find correlation between force magnitude and type of tool used. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Coupling forces applied by workers on different types of chain saws were measured by means of a hydro-electronic force meter. All measurements were carried out during the harvesting of wood in real work conditions. RESULTS: Mean force applied by forestry workers on their tools was 44.2 N. Coupling forces registered during cutting wood with small universal chain saws were larger than forces exerted on models characterized by higher power profile. Forces applied on comparable tools produced by various manufacturers also differed. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between coupling forces and power of the chain saw should lead to ergonomic improvements of the tool and vibration-reducing devices. These results can also be used as a recommendation for fellers in a range of using proper machines for different types of cut or types of wood. They may also be applicable to develop more effective methods for assessing vibration exposure risks among woodcutters.

Ergonomic evaluation and comparison of wood harvesting systems in Northwest Russia.

A comparison of 14 currently applicable wood harvesting systems was assessed with respect to ergonomic point of view. For this purpose, the research method, based on the Hodges-Lehmann rule and the integrated work-severity rate of single machinery, was developed for ergonomic evaluation of cut-to-length, tree-length and full-tree harvesting systems. Altogether, about 130 different parameters of 36 units of equipment that impact on the ergonomics and work conditions were measured and estimated in interviews undertaken directly at forestry harvesting workplaces in 15 logging companies in the Republic of Karelia, Northwest Russia. Then the results were compared to the effective norms, and the degree of compliance with the stipulated values was determined. The estimates obtained for the degree of compliance were combined. This permits a direct comparison of the workload on forestry harvesting workers such as operators, lumberjacks and choker setters. In many respects, the current ergonomic standard is standard, except for the operators of cable skidders, chainsaws and choker settings. Visibility and work postures were considered to be the most critical features influencing the operator's performance. Problems still exist, despite the extensive development of cabs. The best working conditions in terms of harvesting systems were provided by "harvester + forwarder" in cut-to-length harvesting, and "feller-buncher + grapple skidder" in full-tree harvesting. The motor-manual tree-length harvesting performed with cable skidders showed the worst results in terms of ergonomics.

Exposure of mobile chipper operators to diesel exhaust.

The current boom of forest biomass is making mobile chippers increasingly popular among forest operators. This motivates concern about the potential exposure of chipper operators to noxious chemicals derived from diesel fuel combustion. The objective of this study was to determine operator exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated from diesel combustion. This study sampled 28 mobile chipping operations in the Italian mountains, in order to determine professional exposure to BTEX and PAHs among chipper operators. IOM, Radiello®, and XAD2 samplers were used for the purpose. Operations were divided into industrial and small scale, the former based on powerful chippers with enclosed cabs and the latter on smaller machines without enclosed cabs. We could not detect any measurable exposure to BTEX, while exposure levels for PAHs were very low, especially for what concerned recognized cancer agents. That is likely related to work environment and organization because mobile chippers work in the open-air forest environment and in the presence of very few other machines. PAH concentration was significantly higher inside cabs than outside. None of the operators involved in this research was exposed to BTEX or PAHs above occupational exposure limits.

A scale-up field experiment for the monitoring of a burning process using chemical, audio, and video sensors.

Fires are becoming more violent and frequent resulting in major economic losses and long-lasting effects on communities and ecosystems; thus, efficient fire monitoring is becoming a necessity. A novel triple multi-sensor approach was developed for monitoring and studying the burning of dry forest fuel in an open field scheduled experiment; chemical, optical, and acoustical sensors were combined to record the fire spread. The results of this integrated field campaign for real-time monitoring of the fire event are presented and discussed. Chemical analysis, despite its limitations, corresponded to the burning process with a minor time delay. Nevertheless, the evolution profile of CO2, CO, NO, and O2 were detected and monitored. The chemical monitoring of smoke components enabled the observing of the different fire phases (flaming, smoldering) based on the emissions identified in each phase. The analysis of fire acoustical signals presented accurate and timely response to the fire event. In the same content, the use of a thermographic camera, for monitoring the biomass burning, was also considerable (both profiles of the intensities of average gray and red component greater than 230) and presented similar promising potentials to audio results. Further work is needed towards integrating sensors signals for automation purposes leading to potential applications in real situations.

Dose-response relationship between hand-transmitted vibration and hand-arm vibration syndrome in a tropical environment.

OBJECTIVES: The dose-response relationship for hand-transmitted vibration has been investigated extensively in temperate environments. Since the clinical features of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) differ between the temperate and tropical environment, we conducted this study to investigate the dose-response relationship of HAVS in a tropical environment. METHODS: A total of 173 male construction, forestry and automobile manufacturing plant workers in Malaysia were recruited into this study between August 2011 and 2012. The participants were interviewed for history of vibration exposure and HAVS symptoms, followed by hand functions evaluation and vibration measurement. Three types of vibration doses-lifetime vibration dose (LVD), total operating time (TOT) and cumulative exposure index (CEI)-were calculated and its log values were regressed against the symptoms of HAVS. The correlation between each vibration exposure dose and the hand function evaluation results was obtained. RESULTS: The adjusted prevalence ratio for finger tingling and numbness was 3.34 (95% CI 1.27 to 8.98) for subjects with lnLVD≥20 ln m(2) s(-4) against those <16 ln m(2) s(-4). Similar dose-response pattern was found for CEI but not for TOT. No subject reported white finger. The prevalence of finger coldness did not increase with any of the vibration doses. Vibrotactile perception thresholds correlated moderately with lnLVD and lnCEI. CONCLUSIONS: The dose-response relationship of HAVS in a tropical environment is valid for finger tingling and numbness. The LVD and CEI are more useful than TOT when evaluating the dose-response pattern of a heterogeneous group of vibratory tools workers.