SPRING THING
operations. - Be visible; wear high visibility safety colors. - Maintain communication with anyone in the work area. Verify their location with frequent eye contact. - Never walk into a work area with running or moving equipment until the equipment is stopped, engine cut-off, and implements grounded.
IT’S A
- Use proper manual felling techniques. Accurate directional felling avoids risk in the manual felling process.
SAW SHOP
By Bryan Wagner Chainsaw & Logging Safety Trainer, FMIC As you are receiving this publication, things have really changed in the logging woods. We have or will have a beautiful new crop of leaves! Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. What was once drab and brown is now replaced by the lush green, new growth. This beauty can hide some demons from the forest worker. The new canopy of leaves can hide Over-Head Hazards! Let’s review
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FMIC SPRING 2021
the “Heads-Up” program that was developed in the 1990s to fight a trend of injuries involving “death from above.” We will also review the Five-Part-Felling Plan. - Use approved personal protective equipment (PPE) for head protection. - Look and scan at least 50 feet ahead on your ground path of travel. - Look and scan at least 100 feet ahead for all overhead hazards. - Don’t place yourself under any object that can fall or move due to gravity or the loss of hydraulic pressure. - Maintain at least two tree lengths from all felling
If asked a simple question, what is the most dangerous job in the logging woods? Without a doubt, the answer would come back, manually felling trees with a power saw. Measuring the risk involved with the manual felling process surely opens the eyes of insurance companies and governmental agencies. The results from a manual felling incident, notice I did not say “accident,” are usually serious in nature. With the human body being mostly derived from water, it does not take too much of an impact to alter its ability to function normally or to just plain survive! Risk comes in many shapes and forms to a timber-cutter. The timber-cutter must become an expert on identifying risk. Once the risk is spotted, he must be able to eliminate it by using good judgment and employing proper techniques. Risk is the key factor in any incident. A very effective way to reduce risk is to follow a plan. When using a plan, it forces our brains to process the information it is being fed. The results of using a plan should be good decisions being made. There is a plan made specifically for timber-cutters. The FivePart Felling Plan forces our brains to evaluate and process the infor-
