Abstract
Logging activities such as felling trees for firewood and clearing farmland have resulted in 173 work related deaths in which farmers were struck by falling objects during 1980 through 1992, based on data from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system. This represented 46% of all such deaths in the agricultural production industry during this 13 year time period. For loggers, death resulting from being struck by a falling object was also the most common cause, accounting for 48% of all logging deaths. Training of workers is vital if such injuries are to be prevented. Farmers need to be aware of these hazards and the appropriate measures taken to reduce them. OSHA has implemented a regulation for the logging industry which addresses many of the hazards of logging and recommends prevention through proper training, hazard recognition, and use of personal protective equipment. These regulations, while not enforceable in farm related work, provide useful information for the prevention of fatal and nonfatal incidents involving farmers. NIOSH conducts investigations of fatal occupational injuries through the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) project. The results and recommendations for the logging related FACE investigations should also have application to logging type activities conducted in the agricultural setting.
