CHAINSAW FELLING FATAL ACCIDENTS

Logging may be the most dangerous occupation and felling trees with a chainsaw is the most dangerous of logging activities. The major causes of felling fatalities are a hangup fell (26%), poor felling technique (15%), butt rebound (11%), broken limbs or tops (11%), working too close (11%), a snag fell (8%), and struck from behind (5%). Felling into standing timber, a general category that includes hangup fell, snag fell, butt rebound, and broken limbs or tops, accounted for 56% of the felling fatalities. Compliance with the proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standard would improve the safety record for the causes of a hangup fell, working too close, poor felling technique, and a snag fell; other causes may require a better understanding of the hazards. Accidents resulting from a felled tree hitting another tree are poorly understood and the data necessary for understanding are infrequently reported in accident investigations. The author suggests the data to be reported and a hazard recognition procedure to be practiced before felling each tree.