There are jobs classified to be having some of the highest rates of fatality and being a logger is one of them. This job is known to be up to 30 times more dangerous than others surpassed by drivers and farmers. One may wonder what loggers get up to on a day-to-day basis to warrant this job as highly dangerous. Let us take a look into one of the riskiest livelihoods to exist.

What Do Loggers Do?

Loggers are commonly known to help in harvesting timber from forests. This makes their jobs very essential since they provide materials for construction as well as furniture creation. Sawdust can be turned into paper and fibers made into asphalt. Logging can be done commercially or even in an individual’s backyard. Trees can come up with a bunch of surprises especially when reacting to strong winds and this tends to keep the loggers on their toes quite often.

Safety First

Once upon a time when felling trees was done with chainsaws, more accidents occurred than they do now that the process has been mechanized in most parts of the world. Feller machines have become the norm when felling trees or in some cases, big chain saws. There are agencies in certain countries who regulate industries to ensure health and safety standards are maintained. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States, for example, is one such agency.

The Evolution of Loggers And The Logging Profession

Some traits that have been associated with loggers include being reckless and aggressive. They have been celebrated for their masculinity, ability to confront danger and even the fact that they did not conform to modernization but rather have been able to resist it. We have seen the evolution of the industry from the use of hand-saws to circular and band saws and later chain saws. With the arrival of the feller bunch, the loggers could clear trees at a much faster rate than before and one logger could do the work of 20 men.

Accidents And Hazards

Large modern machinery comes with its perks and its set of dangers as well. Numerous job injuries have been reported associated with the machinery in use and some fatal accidents have been linked to the use of technology in some logging processes. There have been cases where chainsaw recoils and strikes back the logger. In other scenarios, huge trees and branches fell on the loggers as they carried about their work. The weight and momentum of trees have been identified as major hazards. Dangerous environmental conditions do not make their work any easier.

Measures Taken

Most loggers understand that the risk is an inherent part of the job. Wood has always been in high demand since the 1600s. As such safety regulations have been put in place to minimize risk as well as training loggers on first aid. Protective equipment is also a must-have item while they are also comprehensively trained on felling procedures. A safer work environment is the way forward to minimize risk.

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