2022 NHCA Annual Virtual Conference

Logging machines in the U.S.A. has been shown to operate at noise levels that exceed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard’s time weighted average (TWA) of 90 dBA for full shift exposure. Logging firms in the southeastern United States almost exclusively operate highly mechanized, full tree harvesting systems with less than 10 employees in each facility. Operations typically involve the use of feller bunchers to fell trees, grapple skidders to get the felled trees from the spot of felling to a landing, and loaders to delimb and cut the trees to length. The loader operator is also responsible for loading the trees onto log trucks that then transport the logs to a wood processing facility. We conducted a logging operations funded study on occupational health effects. Our project specifically conducted field studies in logging workers by: a) assessment of levels of occupational noise and Whole Body Vibration (WBV) in forestry logging operations, b) assessing the auditory function of forestry workers, and c) investigating the effects on Health Related Quality of Life (HR-QOL). We found less hazardous noise to be and WBV exposures to be associated with: a) poorer hearing sensitivity and Otoacoustic Emissions and b) poorer HR-QOL reports.