Occupational Safety and Health Concerns in Logging: A Cross-Sectional Assessment in Virginia

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barrett SM ; Bolding MC ; Dickerson DE ; Kim S ; Nussbaum MA ; Schoenfisch AL
• Description:
  Increased logging mechanization has helped improve logging safety and health, yet related safety risks and concerns are not well understood. A cross-sectional study was completed among Virginia loggers. Participants (n = 122) completed a self-administered questionnaire focusing on aspects of safety and health related to logging equipment. Respondents were at a high risk of workplace injuries, with reported career and 12-month injury prevalences of 51% and 14%, respectively. Further, nearly all (98%) respondents reported experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms. Over half (57.4%) of respondents reported symptoms related to diesel exhaust exposure in their career. Few (15.6%), however, perceived their jobs to be dangerous. Based on the opinions and suggestions of respondents, three priority areas were identified for interventions: struck-by/against hazards, situational awareness (SA) during logging operations, and visibility hazards. To address these hazards, and to have a broader and more substantial positive impact on safety and health, we discuss the need for proactive approaches such as incorporating proximity technologies in a logging machine or personal equipment, and enhancing logging machine design to enhance safety, ergonomics, and SA. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Forestry Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Workplace Injuries Cross Sectional Studies Diesel Exhaust Diesel Exhaust Exposure Logging Industry Machine Safety Mechanized Logging MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Proximity Detection Situational Awareness

  More +
• ISSN:
  1999-4907
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068990
• Citation:
  Forests 2017 Nov; 8(11):440
• Contact Point Address:
  Maury A. Nussbaum, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
• Email:
  nussbaum@vt.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Forests
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a551920395c6652ed87bacc2d8d250c4bbd6d0b08c5bc47b9a037ef92e9c283c118171738ce4b571be66bd868b18107471fcc3fcec499205f4f91dcdaeb0d59f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207546/cdc_207546_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 720.24 KB ]