Developed by : Andrew Egan New Mex ico Forest and Watershed Restorat ion Inst i tute

INTRODUCTION TO LOGGING, SAWMILL, AND WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY

Back ground and the OSHA Logging Standard

LOGGING SAFETY

LOGGING SAFETY: BACKGROUND

• There were 64 logging-related fatal injuries in the US in 2011. • The fatal work injury rate for loggers in 2011 was 102.4 per 100,000

full-time workers, second to commercial fishing.

• This is compared to only 3.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers overall in the US.

• The rate of non-fatal injury for US loggers in 2011 was 5.0 per 100 full-

time workers (vs. 3.5 per 100 workers overall). • Loggers comprise one-half of 1 percent of the total workforce in the US,

yet account for nearly 2 percent of all workplace fatalities.

LOGGING SAFETY: BACKGROUND

• The most common cause of death is being struck by a falling object.

• Felled trees account for most of the struck by falling

object deaths. • The worker at most risk of logging-related fatality is the

timber faller.

OSHA: GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE

The General Duty Clause is the basic legal authority for OSHA enforcement activities. The law states that each employer: shall furnish each employee employment free from

recognized hazards causing or l ikely to cause death or serious physical harm;

shall furnish each employee places of employment

free from recognized hazards causing or l ikely to cause death or serious physical harm; and

has the specific duty to comply with safety and health

standards set up under this law.

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OSHA: VIOLATIONS

A “serious violation” occurs when there is

substantial probability that death or serious harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

An “other-than-serious violation” is one that has a

direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

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OSHA LOGGING STANDARD

OSHA defines logging operations as: Operations associated with felling and

moving trees and logs from the stump to the point of delivery

Includes felling, l imbing, bucking,

debarking, chipping, yarding, loading and transporting machines and personnel from one site to another.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Employers must provide employees

with: hand protection (when handling wire

rope) ballistic nylon (or other material) leg

protection (if operating a chain saw) head protection hearing protection eye and face protection

Employers must make sure that employees are wearing foot protection.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

Work Areas The distance between two adjacent work

areas must be at least two tree heights of the trees being felled.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

First Aid and Fire First Aid kits must be present at each work

site where felling is done, each landing, and each transport vehicle.

Fire extinguishers must be present on each

machine and vehicle.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

Training

All employees must be trained in First Aid

and CPR. Safety and health meetings must be held at

least once per month. Employers must provide training for: each new employee who has not received

training; whenever an employee is assigned new work

tasks; and whenever an employee demonstrates unsafe

behavior.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

Felling Notching is required on all felled trees. Notch openings should be wide enough to

maintain directional control over the arc of the tree's fall .

Back cuts should be above horizontal face cuts

when notch openings are less than 70 degrees. Back cuts that allow for hinge wood sufficient

for directional control must be maintained.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

"Danger Trees" and Domino Felling Each "danger tree" is a standing tree that presents a

hazard to employees due to conditions such as, but not l imited to, deterioration or physical damage to the root system, trunk, stem or l imbs, and the direction and lean of the tree."

Danger trees must be fel led, removed or avoided. I f

not fel led or removed, no work may be conducted within two tree lengths.

Domino fel l ing (the fel l ing of multiple trees by a

single "pusher" tree) is prohibited.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD

In general , the fo l lowing v io lat ions were found dur ing OSHA inspect ions in the f i r s t 18 months of the 1995 OSHA Logging Standard:

insufficient employee training (30 percent of violations) poor record keeping (29 percent)

Speci f ic v iolat ions in the f i r s t 18 months of the 1995 OSHA Logging Standard included (West V i rg inia – 25 inspect ions) :

lack of First Aid training (11 percent) absence of a hazard communication plan (11 percent)

lack of documentation of hazardous chemicals (10 percent)

incomplete First Aid kits (9 percent)

OSHA LOGGING STANDARD: ENFORCEMENT

Piece-rate (vs. t ime-based) wages have been associated with higher logging accident rates and severity.

Experienced workers generally have fewer

injuries than inexperienced workers. Where possible, mechanize operations –

especially fel l ing and del imbing. Understand and implement the OSHA Logging

Standard, including employee training.

SOME SOLUTIONS

The OSHA Logging Standard 1910.266:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9862

Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag113.htm

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Egan, A . 1995. OSHA's danger t rees : New regulat ion wi l l have an ef fect on forest

management and t imber avai labi l i ty. T imber Har vest ing . September 1995. Egan, A . 1995. Making fe l l ing safer : Here 's what OSHA says about manual fe l l ing .

T imber Har vest ing . November/December 1995. Egan, A . 1996. Who is l iable? Are cont ractors responsible for woods hazards?

T imber Har vest ing . June, 1996. Egan, A . 1996. Is the new OSHA logging s tandard being enforced? Southern Logging

T imes . November, 1996. Egan, A . 1996. Hazards in the logging woods – Who's responsible? Journal of

Forestr y . Ju ly 1996. Egan, A . 1997. The int roduct ion of a comprehensive logging safety s tandard in the

USA . Journal of Forest Engineer ing . Vo l . 9 , No . 1 :17 -23.

Egan, A . and C . A l ler ich . 1998. "Danger Trees" in cent ral Appalachian forests of the Uni ted States : An assessment of f requency of occurrence. Journal of Safety Research . 29(2) :77 -85.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Back ground, Case Studies, and the OSHA Sawmil l S tandard

SAWMILL SAFETY

Working in a sawmill is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States.

The equipment poses numerous hazards. Massive weights and

fall ing, roll ing, and/or sliding logs can be very dangerous. Employees often suffer from the following injuries: lacerations,

amputations, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust, and chemicals used for finishing products, may cause skin and respiratory diseases.

Sawmill hazards are even more dangerous when environmental

conditions are factored in, such as uneven, unstable, or rough terrain; inclement weather; or isolated work sites where health care facil ities are not immediately accessible.

SAWMILL SAFETY: BACKGROUND

From: OSHA Sawmill Standard: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/woodproducts/tech_sawmills.html

Tr icon T imber LLC in St . Reg is , Mont . , was c i ted for 25 ser ious and two repeat

safety v io lat ions based on an inspect ion that fo l lowed a complaint a l leging workers had been in jured at the sawmil l .

The v io lat ions inc luded a l leged fa i lure to :

ensure workers were protected from fall hazards by providing standard guardrails, include workers in a fully implemented respiratory protection program, provide adequate PPE, provide an eyewash and emergency shower station, implement a comprehensive energy control program, and guard machines.

Ci tat ions car r ied tota l penal t ies of $80,190. The two repeat v io lat ions were for a l leged fa i lure to guard augers in the bo i ler room

and ensure the shaf t ends on stackers were guarded. These c i tat ions car r ied penal t ies of $48,510.

The proposed penalt ies tota led $128,700.

SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 1

The U.S . Depar tment of Labor ’s Occupat iona l Safety and Heal th Adminis t ra t ion c i ted the Joe N . Mi les & Sons Inc . sawmil l in S i lver Creek with 19 safety v io lat ions .

The c i tat ions inc lude one wi l l fu l v io lat ion car r y ing a $44,000 penal ty for a l lowing an e lect r ica l junct ion box to be le f t open in an area where combust ib le dust accumulates , expos ing workers to f i re and e lect rocut ion.

The company a lso was c i ted wi th 16 ser ious v io lat ions and a penal ty of $23,800. The

v io lat ions inc lude :

a dangerous accumulation of combustible dust; unsafe exit routes; improper dispensing of flammable liquids; failing to inspect lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources; failing to recharge fire extinguishers; lack of signage prohibiting foot and vehicle traffic in the log unloading and storage area; handling corrosive chemicals without required eyewash and safety showers; using damaged hooks on hoists to lift loads; using damaged welding cables; failing to have guardrails on elevated walkways; and failing to provide machine guarding.

The proposed penalt ies tota led $67,800.

SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 2

T h e U . S . De p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r ’ s O c c u p a t io na l S a fet y a n d H e a l t h A d m i n i s t r a t ion c i te d G r a h a m L u m b e r C o . fo r 1 5 s a fet y a n d h e a l t h v io la t io n s fo l l ow ing t h e M a r c h d e a t h o f a wo r ke r w h o wa s e le c t ro c u te d a t t h e c o m p a ny ’ s Fu l to n s aw m i l l w h i le t ro u b le s h o o t in g a m a l f u n c t io n in g s t a r te r i n s id e a m o to r p owe r c o n t ro l c e n te r.

Two s e r io u s s a fet y v io la t io n s r e la te d to t h e f a t a l i t y i n c lu d e f a i l i n g to t r a in e m p loye es o n wo r k

s a fet y p r a c t i c e s a n d a l l ow ing u n q u a l i f ie d e m p loye e s to wo r k o n e n e r g i z ed e q u ip m e n t . E leve n o t h e r s e r io u s s a fet y v io la t io n s in c lu d e d :

failing to have protective shields, barriers or insulating material to protect employees who could come into contact with energized parts;

having a damaged electrical cord on a footswitch; not properly grounding a floor fan; failing to adequately protect electrical cables; storing oxygen cylinders less than 20 feet from gas

cylinders; failing to separate and store oxygen cylinders away from combustible material; exposing workers to burns and struck-by hazards from unsecured acetylene cylinders; failing to take precautions to protect the propane gas system from vehicular damage; and having an unguarded shaft end.

Two other-than-serious health violations were cited for failing to post and provide employees with

a copy of the noise standard, and to include the chemical inventory in the company’s hazard communication program.

T h e p r o p o s e d p e n a l t i e s to t a l e d $ 41 ,310

SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 3

The Occupat ional Safety and Heal th Administrat ion has c i ted B&B Lumber Co.

Inc. for 35 a l leged ser ious v io lat ions of workplace safety standards fo l lowing the Feb. 7 death of a worker at the Jamesvi l le sawmil l .

The worker, who was changing the blades on an edging saw, was k i l led when

another employee inadver tent ly star ted the saw. OSHA’s inspect ion found that the saw’s power source had not been locked out ,

as requi red by OSHA’s hazardous energy control , or “ lockout/tagout ,” s tandard. That standard mandates that machines be shut down and thei r power sources locked out before employees per form maintenance.

OSHA’s inspect ion a lso ident i f ied several other unre lated hazardous condi t ions

at the mi l l encompassing fa l l , e lectr ical , machine guarding, ladder use and personal protect ive equipment hazards, as wel l as inadequate means of egress.

The proposed penalties totaled $152,000.

SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 4

Employers must provide proper training, procedures and protective equipment to safeguard workers against safety hazards.

It is the employer’s responsibility to assess workplace hazards

and ensure corrective measures are taken to protect employees.

Effective lockout/tagout safeguards must be implemented

and maintained at all times. Employers must establish an injury and illness prevention

program in which workers and management continually work to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions.

SOME SOLUTIONS

OSHA Sawmill Standard 1910.265: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/woodproducts/tech_sawmil ls .html

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Back ground and Guidel ines WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY

Lacerations or severing of fingers from fingers caught between the wood and the spl itt ing wedge, sometimes when working with another person in the operation of the spl itter

Back injuries from l i f t ing wood onto the

spl itter Chain saw -related lacerations from bucking

logs to fi rewood length before spl itt ing Hearing loss from not wearing ear protection Burns from leaking hydraulic fluid Foot injuries from wood dropped on feet not

protected by safety toed boots

COMMON INJURIES

Inc ident A worker lost h is index f inger when the cut t ing wedge of the log sp l i t ter he was us ing fa i led to s top once i t had returned to i ts rest ing pos i t ion . C i rcumstances The worker was sp l i t t ing f i rewood us ing a 10 -year -o ld hydraul ic 20 - ton log sp l i t ter

in a hor i zontal pos i t ion . The sp l i t ter had been working f ine ear l ier in the morning .

The operator had h is back to the cutt ing wedge and cont rol lever whi le put t ing the next log on the machine. He d id not not ice that the wedge had fa i led to s top at i t s set pos i t ion .

The cut t ing wedge caught h is r ight index f inger just as he was p lac ing the log onto

the sp l i t ter.

The f inger was amputated f rom the bot tom knuckle .

WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY INCIDENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

From: http://www.osh.govt.nz/publications/series/aa25log-splitter-accident.html

Recommendat ions Th is acc ident occurred through the mechanical fa i lure of a spr ing and guide ins ide a hydraul ic lever. The fo l lowing recommendat ions are g iven to avo id a recurrence of th is acc ident : Current log sp l i t ters are des igned wi th "ho ld to run" or "dead man" control levers .

Th is ensures that the cut t ing wedge wi l l not run for ward wi thout an operator 's hand pressure on the lever.

Be aware of the potent ia l for sp l i t ters w i thout th is "ho ld to run" control feature to

" fa i l to danger. ” Ensure hydraul ic log sp l i t ters are regular ly ser v iced by a hydraul ic spec ia l is t t ra ined

to ident i fy potent ia l fa i lures . Users of the wood sp l i t ter should assess operat ional hazards , be informed of safe

operat ing pract ice wi th the spec i f ic type of machine to be used, and under take a complete cyc le check before i ts operat ional use.

Employers should ensure su i table personal protect ive c loth ing i s provided and worn

dur ing the sp l i t ter ’s operat ion.

WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY INCIDENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Read, understand, and fol low al l instructions on the machine and in the operator's manual before attempting to assemble and operate.

Be familiar with al l controls and proper

operation. Know how to stop the machine and disengage quickly.

Never al low chi ldren under 16 years to

operate a wood spl itter. Many accidents occur when more than one

person operates the machine. I f a helper is assist ing in loading logs, never activate the control unti l the helper is a minimum of 10 feet from the machine.

SAFETY GUIDELINES: GENERAL

Keep bystanders, pets and children at least 20 feet from the machine while it is in operation.

Hydraulic log splitters develop high fluid

pressures during operation. Fluid escaping through a pin hole opening can penetrate your skin and cause blood poisoning, gangrene, or death.

Keep the operator zone and adjacent

area clear for safe, secure fitting. Wood splitters should be used for

splitting wood only.

SAFETY GUIDELINES: GENERAL

Always wear safety shoes or heavy boots.

Always wear safety glasses or safety

goggles while operating a wood splitter. Never wear unbound long hair, jewelry,

or loose clothing that might become entangled in moving or rotating parts of the machine.

SAFETY GUIDELINES: PPE AND CLOTHING

Make sure the wood splitter is on a level surface before operating.

Always block machine to prevent

unintended movement, and lock in either horizontal or vertical position.

Always operate this machine from

the operator zone(s) specified in your operator’s manual.

Logs should be cut with square

ends prior to splitting.

SAFETY GUIDELINES: POSITIONING AND PREPARATION

Use wood splitters in daylight or under good ar tificial l ight.

To avoid personal injury or property

damage, use extreme care in handling gasoline.

Never leave the wood splitter

unattended with the engine running. Always keep fingers away from any

cracks that open in the log while splitt ing. They can quickly close and pinch or sever your fingers.

SAFETY GUIDELINES: OPERATION

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

http://www.mtdparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/KnowledgeCenterArticleView?storeId=10101&catalogId=19502&langId=-1&pageName=en_US/knowledgeCenter/knowledgeCenterArticles/LogSplitterSafety.html

http://www.osh.govt.nz/publications/series/aa25log-splitter-accident

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/Documents/wood_splitters_industry_safety_standard_5658.pdf

INTRODUCTION TO LOGGING, SAWMILL, AND WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY

For informat ion, contact : New Mex ico Forest and Watershed Restorat ion Inst i tute www.nmfwri .org