Safety in the Woods: Studying the Effectiveness of the Kentucky Master Logger Program

Logging is a dangerous field; in this study the researcher looks to see the knowledge both before and after professional loggers participate in the Kentucky Master Logger Program. This information was used to see the overall effectiveness of the Kentucky Master Logger Program. The researcher found an overall improvement in logging professionals’ perceptions and understanding of logging safety. The researcher recommends creating an emphasis on a safe work culture through safety incentives and a greater focus on less used personal protective equipment such as insecticid

Evaluating the impacts of the Tennessee master logger program

A field evaluation of Best Management Practices was used to determine the effectiveness of the Tennessee Master Logger Program (TMLP). The study was focussed and conducted on non-industrial private forestland (NIPF), and excluded harvests on land owned by forest industry or public forests. Completed logging jobs were scored on 4 possible disturbance areas of timber harvesting: 1) haul roads, 2) skid trails, 3) log decks, and 4) Streamside Management Zones (SMZs). These four scores were added together to yield an overall BMP score. Of 191 randomly chosen observation sites across the state of Tennessee, 38, or 19.9%, were logged by trained Master Loggers. A significant association (p \u3c .05) was found between logger training and overall BMP score using a point biserial correlation. Only 17 of the 627 scores (some sites did not have all 4 areas of the harvest, for example, SMZs are not necessary on sites without streams), or 2.6%, exhibited threats to water quality. Of these 17, Master Loggers were only responsible for 3 water quality threats. Point biserial correlations also indicated that a substantial association (p \u3c .05) existed between harvests completed by Master Loggers and the scores of haul roads, skid trails, log decks, and SMZ grades. This study indicates that those loggers who received training from the TMLP were more likely to implement Best Management Practices during harvesting operations on NIPF than those loggers who did not participate in the Tennessee Master Logger Program

Victims Struck Out by Logging

To prevent injuries while felling trees: Loggers should attend the Kentucky Master Logger program for training and education regarding Occupational Safety and Health Administration logging standards and safety procedures. A “pre-job safety plan” should be developed for each job site and the plan should be reviewed prior to each day on the site. Proper notching and directional felling techniques should be utilized when felling trees. Develop a felling plan for each tree prior to felling that includes escape route, dead or hanging branches, vines, and nearby trees

Factors influencing the participation in environmental stewardship programs: a case study of the agricultural and forestry sectors in Louisiana

Considerable research has been conducted to evaluate the adoption of agricultural best management practices and their overall impact on improving environmental quality. However, limited studies have been conducted to evaluate the behavioral factors that influence the adoption of these practices in the context of educational programs The goal of this study is to determine the factors that influence farmer conservation behavior that might lead to an increased probability of improving agriculture and forestry watersheds. A conceptual model was developed to identify the: 1) identify landowner participation in watershed conservation projects, and 2) determine the factors influencing agriculture and forestry landowners to participate in watershed conservation projects. The model includes four major sets of explanatory variables including: 1) social-psychological, 2) farm structural, 3) ecological, and 4) institutional. This study indicates that both farmers and loggers that are younger, more educated and of Caucasian ethnicity tend to participate in environmental stewardship programs which lead to the implementation of conservation practices. Farmers with strong local organization relationships have a greater tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs which leads to the adoption of conservation practices. Agricultural producers with higher income resulting from farming, higher total acres, and farms legal structure indicated as incorporated tended to participate in environmental stewardship programs. Loggers that produced larger loads per week, which is an indicator of size, tended to participate in environmental stewardship programs. The study also found that agricultural producers who spend more time in a job off-farm and have a family owned operation have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs. The study indicates that farmers that have modified their operation due to the Clean Water Act as well as awareness of efforts to control non-point source pollution through the Clean Water Act have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs, thus viewed upon as institutional barriers. Also found was loggers with negative relationships toward regulatory agencies and lending institutions have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs. Farmers have mixed attitudes toward government involvement in agriculture. These conclusions are supported by earlier studies

AN ASSESSMENT OF WORKPLACE INJURY IN KENTUCKY’S COMMERCIAL LOGGING INDUSTRY

Objective: To identify demographic, operational, and task-related characteristics associated with increased frequency and severity of injury in Kentucky’s commercial loggers. Methods: Kentucky Master Loggers attending mandatory continued education courses completed a survey tool eliciting demographic and operational characteristics of their companies, and details of any on-site injury in the years 2012 through 2015 that led to medical costs, lost days or time, and/or decreased production. Associations to injury frequency and injury severity were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results: 86 Kentucky Master Loggers representing 66 of Kentucky’s 120 counties reported 33 accounts of non-fatal logging injury. Master Loggers were full-time (75.29%) owner-operators (83.33%) with a diverse range of logging experience. The majority of operations employed just one to three loggers (70.93%) and operated using non-mechanized (43.53%) or partially mechanized (43.53%) harvesting systems. Of the 33 injured loggers, 22 (66.7%) had greater than three years of experience, and most were injured either while felling (42.42%) or delimbing/topping (24.24%). The average age of injured loggers was 34.6 years with a range age from 21 to 57 years. In multivariate analysis, non-mechanized and full-time operations were significantly associated with injury frequency, and age alone with injury severity. Conclusion: Significant changes in industry practices have improved the overall safety for loggers in the United States, yet the fatality rate remains thirty times the national average. Reductions in risk can be solved with mechanization of logging operations, however, Kentucky companies are largely non-mechanized. Future studies of Kentucky’s logging community should focus on developing interventions based on the internal characteristics of individual loggers

Logger Fatally Injured by Falling Limb

A 60-year-old male logger (the victim) was killed when a falling limb struck him on the head. He had been involved in the logging industry all of his life and had been working for a small logging business for six days when the fatal incident occurred. At about 9 a.m. on the day of the incident, the owner of the company went with the victim to where he would be felling trees. The victim was not wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE). They talked for a few minutes then the owner left on the bulldozer. When he returned 20-25 minutes later, he found the victim lying on the ground. No vital signs were detected. Although the incident was unwitnessed, it was apparent that he had been hit in the head by a falling limb. A broken-off branch lying nearby was about 4 inches in diameter and 4-5 feet long. The owner ran back to the truck about 3/4 mile from the scene to call 911 using the cellular phone. The police and emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene after receiving the call at 9:54 a.m. The coroner was contacted and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. In order to prevent similar instances from occurring, FACE investigators recommend that: Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn at the logging site. A hazard assessment of the logging site should be completed before beginning work to identify and control potential hazards. Employers should develop and enforce a written safety program. Loggers should attend the Master Logger Program for education regarding Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logging standards and safety procedures

Kentucky Forestry Economic Impact Report 2013-2014

Forests are a valuable part of Kentucky’s landscape providing signifi­cant resources and opportunities benefi­ting the Commonwealth. One important and veri­fiable bene­fit is the economic contributions of Kentucky’s forest and wood industries. Analysis of these industries indicated a total economic impact of $12.8 billion and 59,000 jobs in 2013. Kentucky is one of the leading producers of hardwood forest products in the south and exports wood products across the nation and the world. This economic impact was generated from forests located in all 120 counties of the Commonwealth providing resources harvested by over 1,800 logging ­firms and processed at 703 facilities located in 109 counties. These industries include: sawmills, pulp and paper mills, and a wide variety of secondary producers such as cabinet, barrel, and flooring manufacturers. The Kentucky forest industry improved signifi­cantly in 2013 and most sectors and commodities performed better than expected. 2013 saw a reversal of sluggish delivered log prices experienced in 2012 with overall statewide average prices increasing by 11.4% compared to 2012. Analysis indicates that Kentucky will remain the leading producer of hardwood sawlogs in the South and one of the top three in the nation. This report highlights the economic contribution of the forestry sector to Kentucky in 2013 and provides insights to the sectors predicted performance in 2014