Kentucky Injury Prevention
and Research Center Publicaions

Logging Fatalities Due to Logs Rolling Off Trucks

Moon E, Scheerer A, Arthur T, Struttmann T.

Logging continues to be recognized as one of the most hazardous working environments in the US accounting for a fatality rate far exceeding the national average. Data collected by the Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Project, indicate 45 logging-related fatalities occurred during 1994-1998, accounting for 6.4% of all cases and 49% of those in the manufacturing industry. Seven of these fatalities were caused by logs rolling off trucks during the unloading process at the sawmill. Three occurred during a 2-week period in 1998 prompting an in-depth analysis of this type of incident. The mean age was 48 with a range of 31-64. All but one worker was employed in a small, independent logging business. On-site investigations were conducted to assess the circumstances prior to, during and after the event and to develop recommendations for prevention. It is likely that all of these deaths could have been prevented by stacking logs only to the height of the standards and/or securing the load prior to loosening the binders. It appeared that in all cases the load had shifted in transit therefore creating a hazard for those in the work zone during unloading procedures. With the recent increase in logging activity in Kentucky, intervention efforts addressing these hazards and the appropriate prevention strategies must be initiated. An in-depth discussion of the cases will include relevant photographs and specific recommendations for prevention.

Comments to Mark Schneider, Last Modified: July 9, 2001 by JP
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