Frequency
Rate

36.96
34.98
34.64
36.24
41.55
37.21
32.86
33.80
25.07

36.24
Be 4D. 29
Be gOS

A lence in low hazard
i

|

T INJURED

WITH THE DEGREE
ARD

YOUR JOB AND TAKE
SELF FROM INJURY

Mui

gas B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Logging Deaths
Investigated

By ROBERT P. HAUGHEY,

Safety. Engineer, Forest Products Section of the
California Safety Conference

During 1946 through 1952 the Division of Industrial
Safety investigated 285 of the 451 logging and sawmill
fatalities that occurred in California in those seven years.

In more than half the logging deaths investigated, the
victim was killed when hit:

1. by tree being felled; n

2. by tree knocked down by

falling tree;
3. by rolling logs, woods; or

4. by rolling logs, loading.

Fallers and buckers top the
list of victims, with rigging
crews second.

Regarding 1, deaths were caus-
ed from:

poor placing of undercut; ,

failure to consider the lean of
the tree;
| improper making of the -back
cut; or poor layout, permitting

GET HELP FOR

HEAVY or AWKWARD

_ LOADS.

tree to jump the stump.
Poor Layout

ed by:
poor layout;
improper gunning of trees; or
lack of- planned escape route.
Regarding 3, deaths were caus-
ed:
when working on the wrong
side, that is, on the downhill
side, without the log being prop-
erly blocked; or
when working the layout from
the top of hill instead of from
the lower or canyon side.
Unstable Loads
Regarding 4:
poor saddling of logs (making
for unstable loads);
improper hooking of bell-hooks
to logs;
failure of men to stay in clear
while logs were hoisted; or
moving trucks from landing
without wrappers.
In more than half the sawmill
deaths investigated, the victim
was killed:
A. by volling log during un-
loading;
B. by rolling log on log deck;
C. by kickback from saws; or
D. by drowning in pond.
Lines Insecure
Regarding A, most deaths were
caused when wrappers were re-
leased without the unloading lines
being secured.
Regarding B, most deaths were
caused:
by failure to block the remain-
ing logs on the log deck (while
one log was being loaded onto
the carriage) ;
by the log deck man failing to
keep in the clear while logs
were being rolled; or
by failure to secure the carriage
in the loading position, thus al-
lowing it to creep.
Kick-back Dogs
Regarding C, most deaths were

caused by the failure or lack of
kick-back dogs.

Regarding 2, deaths were caus-

1
| §& 4
| The study shows that the 285
| fatalities investigated were pri-
| marily-caused
| unsafe conditions,

| unsafe acts, or

| a combination of both.

The training and constant su-|

| pervision of empl

important, and their value can-
|not be too highly. emphasized.
But it is equally important to
correct all unsafe conditions and
| methods.

| prevention will agree that safety
| should be part and parcel of
| every logging and sawmill opera-
| tion. A safety program, however,
| is all too easy to put off unless
top management gets it started
and sees that it is properly and
| continuously maintained. |
| Employer Responsibility |
| The law requires the employer |
| to provide a safe place of employ-
| ment, safe equipment properly
guarded, and safe methods of
operation. It also requires him
to see that these safeguards and
practices are observed.

Supervisory Responsibility
| “It is of course more difficult to
organize an effective safety pro-
gram in a woods operation than
in the usual plant where unsafe
conditions are usually man-made
and subject to control.

‘As a woods operation is usual-
ly spread out over a large area,
it is more difficult to keep an eye
on all employees in that opera-
tion. So it is doubly important
here that not only the superin-
tendent be convinced of the ne-
cessity for safety, but foremen
and other key men at various
points of operation as well.

A major responsibility of these
men, who should be thoroughly

competent, is to watch for unsafe
practices and correct them on the

s are most| spot. These men are the most;

important part of the injury pre-
vention program.

A logging and sawmill con-
| cern, like any other company, is
more likely to obtain and keep

Everyone interested in injury| workmen if it makes them feel

that the company is interested
enough in their welfare to spend
time, money, and energy to pro-
vide a safe place to work, safe
equipment, and training in safe
methods.

Employee Responsibility
An employee must not remove
or damage any notice or warn-
ing, or safeguard or safety de-
vice. He must not interfere with
methods and processes adopted
for the safety of workers.

And as he is the principal suf-
ferer from work injuries, he
should make it a point to use safe
methods and practices.

Safety Is Good Business
One thing has been proved over
and over again: a good injury-
prevention program means great-
er production. Every injury is a
symptom of something wrong in
the operation—some fault in de-
sign, equipment, arrangement,
placing, training, supervision,
procedure, or practice. Anything

that causes “accidents or injuries
reduces production. E

To Sum Up

Safety means doing things the
right way. Safety efforts reduce
costly interruptions and delays,
improve the output of workers,
and build worker morale.

1. A good safety program—
that is, a good injury-preven-
tion program — will preserve
life and limb, and will prevent
suffering.

2..It is a sound investment
for employer and employee.
For the employer, it reduces
direct and indirect injury
costs, including . compensation
insurance and medical atten-
tion. For the employee, it pre-
yents a reduction in earning
capacity.

3. It builds better relation-
ship between the management
and worker, and raises em-
ployee morale.

4. It is successful when work-
ers and management cooperate
in putting it offer.

5. It must be a continuous
one. Safety Committee meet
ings are not endugh; follow-up
of all actions indicated is es-
sential.

To keep your truck running,
you have to keep your foot on
the throttle. The same goes
for an injury-prevention pro-
gram.

Dead... .-

YARDING & LOADING

‘The crew were swinging out of a cold deck with a sky line. The
rigging came back and the rigging slinger sigtialed to stop.

The fall block was about 20 feet above the ground. The crew |
went into the clear and set the chokers. When the chokerman was
tinder the fall block, the haulback slacked slightly and the fall block
came down.

es te eae

It struck and killed the chokerman.
The haulback brake lever lock was No friction was

E when the lines wire stopped