BACKGROUND: On a hot, dry summer morning in the Appalachians, a timber cutter was selectively harvesting sawtimber trees on a mountainous tract.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The 46-year-old timber cutter had completed his state’s logger training and education program, and he had recently attended a chain saw safety workshop. His employer had a written safety program and conducted regular safety meetings. Snag hazard identification and elimination had been discussed before. The timber cutter was wearing a hard hat, safety glasses, and hearing protection.
UNSAFE ACTS AND CONDITIONS: A 62-foot-long snag was lodged in a tree above a skid road, and the top of the snag extended over and across the skid road. Although the logging company owner had advised the timber cutter to wait until the snag was mechanically removed before cutting in the area, the timber cutter attempted to fell an oak tree below the skid road; the oak’s crown was apparently in contact with the snag. Placing himself under the snag, the timber cutter began cutting the oak.
ACCIDENT: The logging company owner, who was conversing with the landowner at the logging deck approximately 75 yards away, heard the chain saw suddenly stop running, and he headed toward the timber cutter with a gasoline can-thinking the saw had run out of gas. He arrived at the scene and saw that the snag had broken free and had fallen on the timber cutter.
INJURY: The timber cutter had been crushed and killed instantly by the snag. The chain saw was still inserted in the oak tree, and the tree remained standing with only a partial felling cut completed.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION:
- Employers should ensure that tree fellers properly evaluate the cutting area prior to felling to identify hazards. OSHA requires that each “danger tree,” including lodged trees and snags, in an active cutting zone should be identified, tagged or flagged, and removed before cutting begins. Stay alert at all times.
- Employers should ensure that company safety programs are consistently implemented and enforced, and should adopt methods for dealing with worker noncompliance.
- Workshops may improve safety awareness, but the employer and employees must follow through with safe behavior.
Courtesy of the Forest Resources Association: https://www.forestresources.org/