Is cable yarding a dangerous occupation? A Survey from the public and private sector

Abstract

Cable yarding is a physically demanding and dangerous occupation in forest harvesting. Currently, the technology is gaining interest due to its low environmental impacts compared to the ground based technologies. This paper was focused on comparing the subjective opinions regarding occupational safety and work environment with objective findings found in the literature. We used a questionnaire with 33 questions, divided into three main parts: (i) personal traits of the participants; (ii) occupation description; and (iii) the occupational risks identified the participants. The sample consisted of 92 workers who operated cable yarders from both the public and the private sector. Our survey showed that 90% of public and 75% of private sector employees view their work as physically very demanding. Regarding risky behaviour, 50% of public, and 54% of private employees stated they risked only when the circumstances forced them to. However, more than 41% of public and 50% of private employees stated they suffered an occupational accident in the last ten years of working with this technology. Considering the workers worked in unstable climatic conditions, on unstable terrain, and the work environment presents other hazards, such as the loads, sharp tools and equipment, this result was not surprising.

Occupational Risk Assessment in Native Rainforest Management (MIARforest)—Parameters Definition and Validation

“…Regarding the use of machines and tools, the MIAR forest states that the severity depends on the type of machine or tool the worker uses when carrying out the activity. The severity levels were defined according to the bibliography on this subject specifically applied to native forest exploitation [4,8,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. In the valuation of this parameter, it was decided that the severity is higher if the activity is carried out with forestry machines such as, for example, a loader, a forest tractor, a tracked tractor or a logging truck.…”

Skyline Tensile Forces in Cable Logging

“…The safety risks for the operators represent one of the main limits of cable yarding operations (Tsioras et al 2011, Allman et al 2018. Excessive skyline tensile forces, in particular, is a primary safety concern in the risk assessment, being the main reason for broken supports, anchor tree and cables (Tsioras et al 2011).…”

New technological solutions for waterlogged forests by cable yarding

“…Specific physical load of operators is typical -during delay times, pulling the main line into the stand, working at heights, etc. (Tsioras et al 2011;Allman et al 2017Allman et al , 2018.…”