INTRODUCTION TO LOGGING, SAWMILL, AND WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY

Transcription

1 Developed by: INTRODUCTION TO LOGGING, SAWMILL, AND WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY Andrew Egan New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute

2 LOGGING SAFETY Background and the OSHA Logging Standard

3 LOGGING SAFETY: BACKGROUND There were 64 logging-related fatal injuries in the US in The fatal work injury rate for loggers in 2011 was per 100,000 full-time workers, second to commercial fishing. This is compared to only 3.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers overall in the US. The rate of non-fatal injury for US loggers in 2011 was 5.0 per 100 fulltime workers (vs. 3.5 per 100 workers overall). Loggers comprise one-half of 1 percent of the total workforce in the US, yet account for nearly 2 percent of all workplace fatalities.

4 LOGGING SAFETY: BACKGROUND The most common cause of death is being struck by a falling object. Felled trees account for most of the struck by falling object deaths. The worker at most risk of logging-related fatality is the timber faller.

5 OSHA: GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE The General Duty Clause is the basic legal authority for OSHA enforcement activities. The law states that each employer: shall furnish each employee employment free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm; shall furnish each employee places of employment free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm; and has the specific duty to comply with safety and health standards set up under this law.

6 OSHA: VIOLATIONS A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

7 OSHA LOGGING STANDARD OSHA defines logging operations as: Operations associated with felling and moving trees and logs from the stump to the point of delivery Includes felling, limbing, bucking, debarking, chipping, yarding, loading and transporting machines and personnel from one site to another.

8 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Employers must provide employees with: hand protection (when handling wire rope) ballistic nylon (or other material) leg protection (if operating a chain saw) head protection hearing protection eye and face protection Employers must make sure that employees are wearing foot protection.

9 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD Work Areas The distance between two adjacent work areas must be at least two tree heights of the trees being felled.

10 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD First Aid and Fire First Aid kits must be present at each work site where felling is done, each landing, and each transport vehicle. Fire extinguishers must be present on each machine and vehicle.

11 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD Training All employees must be trained in First Aid and CPR. Safety and health meetings must be held at least once per month. Employers must provide training for: each new employee who has not received training; whenever an employee is assigned new work tasks; and whenever an employee demonstrates unsafe behavior.

12 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD Felling Notching is required on all felled trees. Notch openings should be wide enough to maintain directional control over the arc of the tree's fall. Back cuts should be above horizontal face cuts when notch openings are less than 70 degrees. Back cuts that allow for hinge wood sufficient for directional control must be maintained.

13 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE LOGGING STANDARD "Danger Trees" and Domino Felling Each "danger tree" is a standing tree that presents a hazard to employees due to conditions such as, but not limited to, deterioration or physical damage to the root system, trunk, stem or limbs, and the direction and lean of the tree." Danger trees must be felled, removed or avoided. If not felled or removed, no work may be conducted within two tree lengths. Domino felling (the felling of multiple trees by a single "pusher" tree) is prohibited.

14 OSHA LOGGING STANDARD: ENFORCEMENT In general, the following violations were found during OSHA inspections in the first 18 months of the 1995 OSHA Logging Standard: insufficient employee training (30 percent of violations) poor record keeping (29 percent) Specific violations in the first 18 months of the 1995 OSHA Logging Standard included (West Virginia 25 inspections): lack of First Aid training (11 percent) absence of a hazard communication plan (11 percent) lack of documentation of hazardous chemicals (10 percent) incomplete First Aid kits (9 percent)

15 SOME SOLUTIONS Piece-rate (vs. time-based) wages have been associated with higher logging accident rates and severity. Experienced workers generally have fewer injuries than inexperienced workers. Where possible, mechanize operations especially felling and delimbing. Understand and implement the OSHA Logging Standard, including employee training.

16 SOURCES OF INFORMATION The OSHA Logging Standard : ARDS&p_id=9862 Bureau of Labor Statistics:

17 SOURCES OF INFORMATION Egan, A OSHA's danger trees: New regulation will have an effect on forest management and timber availability. Timber Harvesting. September Egan, A Making felling safer: Here's what OSHA says about manual felling. Timber Harvesting. November/December Egan, A Who is liable? Are contractors responsible for woods hazards? Timber Harvesting. June, Egan, A Is the new OSHA logging standard being enforced? Southern Logging Times. November, Egan, A Hazards in the logging woods Who's responsible? Journal of Forestry. July Egan, A The introduction of a comprehensive logging safety standard in the USA. Journal of Forest Engineering. Vol. 9, No. 1: Egan, A. and C. Allerich "Danger Trees" in central Appalachian forests of the United States: An assessment of frequency of occurrence. Journal of Safety Research. 29(2):77-85.

18 SAWMILL SAFETY Background, Case Studies, and the OSHA Sawmill Standard

19 SAWMILL SAFETY: BACKGROUND Working in a sawmill is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The equipment poses numerous hazards. Massive weights and falling, rolling, and/or sliding logs can be very dangerous. Employees often suffer from the following injuries: lacerations, amputations, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust, and chemicals used for finishing products, may cause skin and respiratory diseases. Sawmill hazards are even more dangerous when environmental conditions are factored in, such as uneven, unstable, or rough terrain; inclement weather; or isolated work sites where health care facilities are not immediately accessible. From: OSHA Sawmill Standard:

20 SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 1 Tricon Timber LLC in St. Regis, Mont., was cited for 25 serious and two repeat safety violations based on an inspection that followed a complaint alleging workers had been injured at the sawmill. The violations included alleged failure to: ensure workers were protected from fall hazards by providing standard guardrails, include workers in a fully implemented respiratory protection program, provide adequate PPE, provide an eyewash and emergency shower station, implement a comprehensive energy control program, and guard machines. Citations carried total penalties of $80,190. The two repeat violations were for alleged failure to guard augers in the boiler room and ensure the shaft ends on stackers were guarded. These citations carried penalties of $48,510. The proposed penalties totaled $128,700.

21 SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 2 The U.S. Department of Labor s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Joe N. Miles & Sons Inc. sawmill in Silver Creek with 19 safety violations. The citations include one willful violation carrying a $44,000 penalty for allowing an electrical junction box to be left open in an area where combustible dust accumulates, exposing workers to fire and electrocution. The company also was cited with 16 serious violations and a penalty of $23,800. The violations include: a dangerous accumulation of combustible dust; unsafe exit routes; improper dispensing of flammable liquids; failing to inspect lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources; failing to recharge fire extinguishers; lack of signage prohibiting foot and vehicle traffic in the log unloading and storage area; handling corrosive chemicals without required eyewash and safety showers; using damaged hooks on hoists to lift loads; using damaged welding cables; failing to have guardrails on elevated walkways; and failing to provide machine guarding. The proposed penalties totaled $67,800.

22 SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 3 The U.S. Department of Labor s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Graham Lumber Co. for 15 safety and health violations following the March death of a worker who was electrocuted at the company s Fulton sawmill while troubleshooting a malfunctioning starter inside a motor power control center. Two serious safety violations related to the fatality include failing to train employees on work safety practices and allowing unqualified employees to work on energized equipment. Eleven other serious safety violations included: failing to have protective shields, barriers or insulating material to protect employees who could come into contact with energized parts; having a damaged electrical cord on a footswitch; not properly grounding a floor fan; failing to adequately protect electrical cables; storing oxygen cylinders less than 20 feet from gas cylinders; failing to separate and store oxygen cylinders away from combustible material; exposing workers to burns and struck-by hazards from unsecured acetylene cylinders; failing to take precautions to protect the propane gas system from vehicular damage; and having an unguarded shaft end. Two other-than-serious health violations were cited for failing to post and provide employees with a copy of the noise standard, and to include the chemical inventory in the company s hazard communication program. The proposed penalties totaled $41,310

23 SAWMILL SAFETY: CASE 4 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited B&B Lumber Co. Inc. for 35 alleged serious violations of workplace safety standards following the Feb. 7 death of a worker at the Jamesville sawmill. The worker, who was changing the blades on an edging saw, was killed when another employee inadvertently started the saw. OSHA s inspection found that the saw s power source had not been locked out, as required by OSHA s hazardous energy control, or lockout/tagout, standard. That standard mandates that machines be shut down and their power sources locked out before employees perform maintenance. OSHA s inspection also identified several other unrelated hazardous conditions at the mill encompassing fall, electrical, machine guarding, ladder use and personal protective equipment hazards, as well as inadequate means of egress. The proposed penalties totaled $152,000.

24 SOME SOLUTIONS Employers must provide proper training, procedures and protective equipment to safeguard workers against safety hazards. It is the employer s responsibility to assess workplace hazards and ensure corrective measures are taken to protect employees. Effective lockout/tagout safeguards must be implemented and maintained at all times. Employers must establish an injury and illness prevention program in which workers and management continually work to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions.

25 SOURCES OF INFORMATION OSHA Sawmill Standard :

26 WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY Background and Guidelines

27 COMMON INJURIES Lacerations or severing of fingers from fingers caught between the wood and the splitting wedge, sometimes when working with another person in the operation of the splitter Back injuries from lifting wood onto the splitter Chain saw-related lacerations from bucking logs to firewood length before splitting Hearing loss from not wearing ear protection Burns from leaking hydraulic fluid Foot injuries from wood dropped on feet not protected by safety toed boots

28 WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY INCIDENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Incident A worker lost his index finger when the cutting wedge of the log splitter he was using failed to stop once it had returned to its resting position. Circumstances The worker was splitting firewood using a 10-year-old hydraulic 20-ton log splitter in a horizontal position. The splitter had been working fine earlier in the morning. The operator had his back to the cutting wedge and control lever while putting the next log on the machine. He did not notice that the wedge had failed to stop at its set position. The cutting wedge caught his right index finger just as he was placing the log onto the splitter. The finger was amputated from the bottom knuckle. From:

29 WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY INCIDENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations This accident occurred through the mechanical failure of a spring and guide inside a hydraulic lever. The following recommendations are given to avoid a recurrence of this accident: Current log splitters are designed with "hold to run" or "dead man" control levers. This ensures that the cutting wedge will not run forward without an operator's hand pressure on the lever. Be aware of the potential for splitters without this "hold to run" control feature to "fail to danger. Ensure hydraulic log splitters are regularly serviced by a hydraulic specialist trained to identify potential failures. Users of the wood splitter should assess operational hazards, be informed of safe operating practice with the specific type of machine to be used, and undertake a complete cycle check before its operational use. Employers should ensure suitable personal protective clothing is provided and worn during the splitter s operation.

30 SAFETY GUIDELINES: GENERAL Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine and in the operator's manual before attempting to assemble and operate. Be familiar with all controls and proper operation. Know how to stop the machine and disengage quickly. Never allow children under 16 years to operate a wood splitter. Many accidents occur when more than one person operates the machine. If a helper is assisting in loading logs, never activate the control until the helper is a minimum of 10 feet from the machine.

31 SAFETY GUIDELINES: GENERAL Keep bystanders, pets and children at least 20 feet from the machine while it is in operation. Hydraulic log splitters develop high fluid pressures during operation. Fluid escaping through a pin hole opening can penetrate your skin and cause blood poisoning, gangrene, or death. Keep the operator zone and adjacent area clear for safe, secure fitting. Wood splitters should be used for splitting wood only.

32 SAFETY GUIDELINES: PPE AND CLOTHING Always wear safety shoes or heavy boots. Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles while operating a wood splitter. Never wear unbound long hair, jewelry, or loose clothing that might become entangled in moving or rotating parts of the machine.

33 SAFETY GUIDELINES: POSITIONING AND PREPARATION Make sure the wood splitter is on a level surface before operating. Always block machine to prevent unintended movement, and lock in either horizontal or vertical position. Always operate this machine from the operator zone(s) specified in your operator s manual. Logs should be cut with square ends prior to splitting.

34 SAFETY GUIDELINES: OPERATION Use wood splitters in daylight or under good artificial light. To avoid personal injury or property damage, use extreme care in handling gasoline. Never leave the wood splitter unattended with the engine running. Always keep fingers away from any cracks that open in the log while splitting. They can quickly close and pinch or sever your fingers.

35 SOURCES OF INFORMATION es/servlet/knowledgecenterarticleview?stor eid=10101&catalogid=19502&langid=- 1&pageName=en_US/knowledgeCenter/kno wledgecenterarticles/logsplittersafety.html aa25log-splitter-accident blications/documents/wood_splitters_indu stry_safety_standard_5658.pdf

36 INTRODUCTION TO LOGGING, SAWMILL, AND WOOD SPLITTER SAFETY For information, contact: New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute