Experience of the woodcutter and the risk of an accident during the tree felling

The work of woodcutter is considered to be hard and dangerous. This job requires not only knowledge, but also skills. Experience is considered one of the most important factors affecting the safety of the chain saw operations. The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of experience on the performance of woodcutters. The research was carried out in Chojnow Forest District (central Poland) and included three woodcutters with different level of experience: A - inexperienced person (1.5 years of work), B - average experience (15 years of work), C - extensive experience (22 years of work). We analyzed the quality of the felling operations carried out in a Scots pine stand studying the following parameters: width of the hinge, height of the safety threshold and height of the stump. Woodcutter A made a lot of mistakes and his work was characterized by the high risk of an accident. Woodcutters B and C seem to have worked safer, but woodcutter C in most cases did not leave the safety threshold of the required height. The decisive factor in safety has been and will remain the quality of the lumberjacks training and enforcing it during professional examinations. High quality of trainings is of crucial importance, especially for less experienced woodcutters.