Safety We all know there is no greater concern in the logging industry than that of safety. MFI provides valuable safety information; including specialized safety tips, instructions on safe practices and information relative to the prevention and control of unsafe conditions. Safety Alerts The Safety Alerts are reprinted with permission from the American Pulpwood Association.

Log Truck Spills Load Background: A log truck driver was driving his loaded truck in the westbound lane of a two-lane highway. It was a clear, autumn day in the south. The road was dry and visibility was good. Personal Characteristics: The driver was considered an experienced log truck driver. Unsafe Act or Condition: As the truck came out of a curve in the highway, the driver saw a vehicle in the westbound lane, preparing to turn. Realizing he was moving too fast to stop before hitting the vehicle, the driver turned his rig left into the eastbound lane to pass. Accident: As he passed this first vehicle, another vehicle in the westbound lane - ahead of the first - started a left hand turn across the eastbound lane. Hoping to avoid a collision with this second vehicle, the log truck driver turned left into a convenience store parking lot. Before completing the turn, the double bunk trailer tipped over, causing the entire rig to turn on to its side. Injury: No one was injured in this accident. The tractor and trailer sustained unspecified damage. The logs that spilled off the trailer crushed a large oil company sign. Recommendations for Correction: The log truck driver was cited for exceeding a safe speed, although he was not exceeding the posted speed limit. This accident clearly illustrates that the posted speed limit does not relieve truck drivers of the responsibility to drive no faster than conditions permit. Such conditions include the loads they haul and the road they drive. The accident also highlights the importance of anticipating dangerous traffic conditions and quickly reacting with the appropriate maneuver. Professional log truck drivers continually monitor their speed and constantly ask themselves what they would do in unexpected driving emergencies. Emergency Tire Sealant Explosion Background: All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are commonly used and are an efficient tool for many commercial timberland management activities. A temporary hydrologist technician was riding an ATV to conduct road assessments. The work consisted of riding the ATV to a point of interest, stopping for about five minutes to take a GPS reading, logging data and continuing. He had been running the ATV steady for about 4 ½ hours. While stopped, the ATV was left idling. The air temperature was in the low 90s. Personal Characteristics: The employee was in his late 20s, with six years experience. He had completed an ATV Institute rider course and many other safety-training courses and was considered fully trained and well experienced. At the time of the incident, he was wearing all appropriate personal protective equipment, including a crash helmet, substantial boots, long-sleeved shirt and safety glasses. Unsafe Act or Condition: Many ATV riders carry an emergency can of tire inflator/sealant in the ATV tool kit; stored there, however, it is subject to heat from the muffler and direct sunlight, as well as damage from bouncing around with the other tools. Tire sealant cans are pressurized and contain highly flammable material. Accident: While the employee stopped to take the GPS reading, the can of sealant exploded. The ATV toolbox was destroyed, and sealant foam spewed onto the employee’s back and head. Parts of the container struck the employee’s helmet, and the shock jolted him. Fortunately, the ATV was not in motion at the time, and the highly flammable sealant did not ignite. Injury: There were no injuries. However, severe burns, lacerations from shrapnel, or a serious ATV accident might have easily occurred. Recommendations for Correction: Don’t use flammable emergency tire sealant. ATVs and similar machines should carry tire repair products that are non-flammable, such as CO2 inflators, small hand pumps, and non-flammable puncture-sealing gels that are all readily available. Sawhand Injured on Logging Deck Background: A sawhand was bucking and trimming logs on the landing of a southern logging operation on a partly cloudy, slightly windy day. Personal Characteristics: The 19-year-old sawhand had been working for this timber-harvesting contractor for only two months. This was his first logging job, and he was not yet considered to be fully trained. He was wearing the required personal protective equipment. Unsafe Act or Conditions: The landing area was cluttered with limbs, tops, and bunched logs. The sawhand walked across the ramp toward an arriving skidder without turning off his chainsaw or applying the chain break. Accident: The skidder operator dropped his load of logs at the landing. Keeping his chainsaw running, the sawhand approached the load and tripped on some debris, falling down. The fall caused the saw to swing around into the back of his right leg, cutting into his lower leg. Injury: The chainsaw operator was rushed to the local emergency room where the cut required 12 stitches to close. After being absent from his job for nine working days, he was able to return to work. Recommendations for Correction: A high percentage of logging injuries occur on log landings or decks. These areas should be kept clear of slash, debris, and any unnecessary equipment that might pose a hazard to ground workers at the log landing. Everyone working in the landing area should be aware of all potential hazards and maintain secure footing. Always engage chain brakes while walking in the ramp and between trimming and bucking areas. Skidder Blade Injures Operator Background: A skidder operator and loader operator were attempting to repair a damaged skidder blade on a cool winter morning in the south. Personal Characteristics: The skidder operator was 42 years old and had been employed by this company for about 10 years. The loader operator was 35 and had been employed by the same company for four years. Both workers were fully trained experienced operators with no accident history. It subsequently emerged that the skidder operator was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. Unsafe Act or Condition: The skidder blade hydraulic cylinders malfunctioned, preventing the operator from raising the blade. The operation’s owner had left the job site to run errands. In the absence of their supervisor, the two men decided to rig the skidder blade temporarily in the up position with a chain, so the skidder could continue to operate, and the job could continue to produce wood. The loader operator raised the skidder blade with the loader grapple, while the skidder operator attempted to secure the blade with the chain. Accident: The loader lost hydraulic pressure while holding the skidder blade in the up position. The skidder blade fell on the skidder operator’s legs. Recommendations for Corrections: No machine should be operated until qualified personnel have repaired any malfunctioning components and should only be operated as described in operator’s manuals. Using chains, ropes or cables to hold skidder blades in the up position is unsafe. Hydraulically activated logging machine attachments, such as skidder blades, should be repaired and maintained only by qualified mechanics. When working on these attachments in the up position, they should be securely blocked or checked and all hydraulic pressure should be released. If appropriate, cylinder blocks should be installed. Logging contractors should continually emphasize that employee safety is more important than production. Although it is not clear what influence the “controlled substance” exerted on the skidder operator’s judgement, loggers should never work under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and logging employers should consider establishing formal “drug-free workplace” policies.