Exposure of Operators to Chainsaw Vibration in Forest Harvesting

Jesus, André Tavares de; Fiedler, Nilton César; Carmo, Flávio Cipriano de Assis do; Juvanhol, Ronie Silva

doi:10.5380/rf.v50i3.65530

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Furthermore, our analysis conforms to numerous studies showing that chainsaws can emit noise levels above 90 dB(A) [15], thus posing a significant risk of hearing damage to operators [16]. The vibrations transmitted to the hand-arm system, in turn, cause irreversible damage to the peripheral circulatory system of the hands, leading to capillary rupture and the onset of Raynaud's syndrome, or 'white fingers' disease [17]. Despite the critical nature of these issues, there is extremely limited scientific literature explicitly addressing airborne pollutant emissions from machinery such as chainsaws [9] and specifically forestry operator exposure to BTEX and PAHs [18].…”

Section: Health Implicationssupporting

confidence: 81%

Analysis of Chainsaw Emissions during Chestnut Wood Operations and Their Health Implications

D’Antonio,

Toscano,

Moretti

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Italy, the use of chainsaws for field operations such as Felling (FE), Delimbing (DE), and Bucking (BU) is widespread due to the topography, the medium–small size of farms, and the predominant presence of broad-leaved forests managed through coppicing. However, this has led to an increase in injuries and illnesses due to exposure to physical factors (e.g., noise, dust, and vibrations) and chemical agents (e.g., various volatile compounds). Occupational health and safety legislation in Italy has undergone several phases, including the approval of U.T. 81/2008. The present study aims to evaluate the noise generated by chainsaws and the concentration of pollutants (CO, VOC, and C6H6) present in chainsaw exhaust gases during interventions in a chestnut coppice in relation to the limits set by current legislation. The analysis of the noise generated by chainsaws during chestnut cutting operations showed that it exceeded the legal noise limits during all chainsaw activities, with peak levels of about 110 dB. The detected noise could cause important critical issues in relation to the health and safety of specialized operators. Furthermore, the correlation between the specific work (FE, DE, and BU) and the ratio between maximum and average values of CO and VOC emissions was evaluated. Notably, comparable levels of maximum VOC emissions were observed during the FE and BU phases. However, the average emission values during these phases exhibited significant differences, suggesting higher VOC production when the engine was running but not actively engaged in cutting. The highest emissions were recorded during the FE phase (CO = 135 ppm, VOC = 17.28 ppm, and C6H6 = 2.13 ppm).

show abstract

Section: Health Implicationssupporting

confidence: 81%

Analysis of Chainsaw Emissions during Chestnut Wood Operations and Their Health Implications

D’Antonio,

Toscano,

Moretti

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Despite the versatility and importance of chainsaws, they can act as health stressors, as well as they may compose a group of ergonomic factors. The main occupational exposures that chainsaw operators are subjected to are: physical risks (noise and vibration) (ROTTENSTEINER and STAMPFER, 2013;JESUS et al, 2020); ergonomic risks (intense physical effort, manual weight lifting and carrying, inadequate posture, excessive rhythms, prolonged working hours, repetition); accident risks (poisonous animals and falling of branches) and; still, the gases emitted by the exhaust system (ALANDER et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hand-Arm Vibration in Different Operating Conditions With a Chainsaw

Depoi

Brandelero

Werner

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The mechanization of forest harvesting is a trend in Brazil. However, small and medium-sized companies in the forestry sector, even today, opt for semi-mechanized harvesting, using chainsaws for the harvesting and sectioning of trees. Despite technological advances, when operated continuously, chainsaws may cause damage to the operator’s body, acting as a stressor, and vibration excess is responsible for numerous health disorders, among them the Raynaud syndrome. In this sense, this study aimed to determine the vibration levels to which a chainsaw operator is subjected, during the transversal cut (tracing) of the wood, in different forest species and cutting sets. The treatments consisted of three forest species (Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus dunnii and Acacia mearnsii De Wild) and two cutting sets, consisting of square tooth chains of the semi-chisel and chisel types. The vibration assessment was based on the criteria established by the Regulatory Standards NR15, NHO10 and ISO 2631-4. The results of vibration levels were higher than the reference limits established by ISO 2631-4, and, for both cutting sets, the highest vibration levels occurred on the “x” axis. After the data processing, the acceleration values resulting from the normalized exposure to hand-arm vibrations showed significant differences for the “y” and “z” axes. Therefore, it can be inferred that the chainsaw operation is a stressor, potentially capable of causing damage to workers' health.

show abstract

“…Work with semimechanized machines and tools is arduous and tiring and may generate various injuries caused throughout the work and life of the operators. This is because operators are exposed to occupational hazards that may be ergonomic (intense physical effort, manual weight lifting and transport, inadequate posture, excessive pace, prolonged working hours, repetitiveness), biological (venomous animals), chemical, caused by the gases emitted by the exhaust system (ALANDER et al, 2005), and physical, such as noise and vibration (ROTTENSTEINER & STAMPFER, 2013;JESUS et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hand-arm vibration while operating a side brush cutter with three cutting implements in two crops

Cella¹,

Werner

Brandelero

et al. 2022

Reveng

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The use of side brushcutters exposes users to vibration and noise, which can cause damage to the operator, as they act as a stressor agent. Excessive vibration is responsible for countless disorders, including Raynaud’s syndrome. This study aimed to assess the effect of the vibrations of a side brush cutter on the human body. A side brush cutter was used with three cutting implements (double blade, triple blade and double nylon thread) applied to two crops (wheat and ryegrass). The vibration was measured through a three-dimensional accelerometer placed on the handgrips of the brush cutter, in compliance with the provisions of the ISO 5349-1 Standard. The analyzed variables were submitted to the Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests. Due to the abnormality, the data were transformed by the Neperian logarithm and submitted to analysis of variance, and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. As a result, the orthogonal y-axis presented a higher vibration level; the three-point blade showed the lowest vibration level compared to the other cutting implements for both crops; these vibration levels did not exceed the NHO10 recommendation. Hence, using the appropriate attachment for each operation may reduce the harm caused by vibration to the operator’s body.

show abstract

Exposure of Operators to Chainsaw Vibration in Forest Harvesting

Cited by 5 publications

References 2 publications

Analysis of Chainsaw Emissions during Chestnut Wood Operations and Their Health Implications

Analysis of Chainsaw Emissions during Chestnut Wood Operations and Their Health Implications

Hand-Arm Vibration in Different Operating Conditions With a Chainsaw

Hand-arm vibration while operating a side brush cutter with three cutting implements in two crops

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About