Background: Logging is one of the most hazardous occupations and fatality rates are consistently among the highest of all industries. A review of fatalities caused by logs rolling off trucks is presented.
Methods: The Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Project is a statewide surveillance system for occupational fatalities. Investigations are conducted on selected injuries with an emphasis on prevention strategy development. Logging was an area of high priority for case investigation.
Results: During 1994-1998, we identified seven incidents in which a worker was killed by a log rolling off a truck at a sawmill, accounting for 15% of the 45 deaths related to logging activities. These cases were reviewed to identify similar characteristics and risk factors.
Conclusions: Investigations led to recommendations for behavioral, administrative, and engineering controls. Potential interventions include limiting load height on trucks, installing unloading cages at sawmills and prohibiting overloaded trucks on public roadways.
Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.