Logging Fatalities in the United States

ABSTRACT

Logging has been reported to be one of the most hazardous industries in the United States for fatal injury. However, most studies have been at the state level and did not look at the logging industry specifically, but identified the risk of this industry through comparisons of fatalities across all industries. National data on logging injuries have concentrated on nonfatal injuries, not fatal injuries. To learn more about fatal logging injuries, the National Institute for Occupational Safety nd Health analyzed the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance system for demographic differences in logging fatalities occurring in the United States from 1980 through 1988. The results indicate that there are regional differences in logging fatality rates, with the highest fatality rates occurring in those regions of the country harvesting primarily hardwood sawtimber. No significant differences in fatality rates between African-American and white workers were found.