Health and Safety Course: Health and Safety in South African Forestry Industry

Over 40 million ha of South Africa is covered by forest resources, with an estimated 1,27 million ha being afforested area. The forestry sector contributes immensely to South Africa’s GDP and provides numerous direct and indirect employment opportunities. The loggers in the South African forestry industry, or the workers who directly fell, harvest, and process the tress, are at the most risk of facing hazards to their health and safety. We have highlighted the various hazards of direct work in the forestry industry in South Africa. EMCARE offers a health and safety course and a range of other courses that will equip forestry workers with the training to stay safe from forestry hazards.

Forestry Hazards for Loggers in South Africa:

The numerous employment opportunities that stem from the South African forestry industry do not come without their risks and safety hazards. We highlight the direct hazards to the safety of the loggers in the South African forestry industry.

1. Falling Trees:
   
   Tree felling naturally involves the hazard of falling trees. The use of an incorrect felling technique can cause a tree to fall in an unplanned direction. If loggers around the falling tree are not paying attention or are caught off-guard, they risk being crushed under the falling tree or severely injured. Falling trees can also land on forestry machinery in the vicinity, causing damage to the machinery and injuring the machine operator.
   
   
2. Fatigue, Strain, and Injury:
   
   Loggers perform manual labour daily. Felling trees, removing branches, lifting logs, operating heaving machinery, and carrying equipment are a few of the manually taxing aspects a logger is required to perform. The laborious aspects of logging work increase the hazards of fatigue, muscular strain, and injuries that can range in severity.
   
   The intense physical labour and long work hours are one of the main causes behind the hazard of fatigue for loggers. Fatigue will impair the logger's physical abilities to perform their work to satisfactory and safe standards. Fatigue also impairs mental capacities which may result in the logger using power tools incorrectly or not following safety protocols sufficiently.
   
   
3. Chainsaw Accidents:
   
   Chainsaws are the most widely used power tool by loggers in the forestry industry. Chainsaws make easy and quick work of felling large trees and trimming branches. While chainsaws make tree felling easier, they also can be hazardous to the loggers.
   
   Kickback is the most common cause of chainsaw injuries for loggers. Kickback occurs when the teeth on the blade of the chainsaw get caught in the tree which results in the chainsaw jerking. This jerking motion can cause injury to the logger’s arms, back, and shoulder.
   
   Other accidents can occur when chainsaws are used improperly. A variety of injuries can result from using the incorrect chainsaw for the thickness of a tree, using an unmaintained chainsaw, or continuing use when a chainsaw is demonstrating mechanical problems. If the logger who is using the chainsaw is distracted or fatigued, they may use the chainsaw carelessly and cause injuries to themselves or others.
   

4. Uneven Terrain:
   
   Forests are typically located on uneven terrain. The forest can be located on a hill or alongside a cliff, which makes it difficult to perform logging work safely. The floor of the forest can also be uneven due to the different soils, protruding tree roots, and holes hidden by plant debris. A logger is at risk of slipping, tripping, and falling when walking around the afforested area, which puts them at risk of injury.
   
   
5. Forest Fires:
   
   A fire emergency can quickly place the health and safety of loggers at risk. If an accidental fire occurs and starts tearing through the forest whilst loggers are working, the loggers are at risk of burns, injuries, asphyxiation, heat exhaustion, eye irritation, and possibly death. Forest fires are unpredictable; therefore, it is critical to have an emergency plan in place to reduce the devastating consequences this hazard can have on the loggers and the surrounding areas.
   
   
6. Wildlife Threats:
   
   Many of the afforested areas lie adjacent to natural forests in South Africa which provides ample opportunities for wildlife to end up in the forestry zone. Certain wildlife species pose various threats to the health and safety of the loggers. The threats range from mild, such as a bird diving at loggers who are cutting down a tree with their nest, to severe, such as a logger dismantling a bee-hive and being stung by the swarm.
   
   One of the common wildlife threats that loggers face is encounters with snakes. Many of the afforested areas in South Africa are located in areas with indigenous venomous snakes. From Black Mambas to Puff Adders to Boomslangs, there are a host of venomous snakes that will immediately put a logger's life at risk if they are bitten.
   

7. Extreme Weather Conditions:
   
   Loggers are exposed continuously to the natural elements whilst they perform their work. A summer day in Kwa-Zulu Natal, for example, can begin with searing high temperatures throughout the day and end with a thunderstorm in the afternoon. As a result, loggers will be exposed to high temperatures followed by cold rain and the threat of being struck by lightning. We have listed a few of the hazards posed by the extreme weather conditions that loggers may face.
   
   
   1. Dehydration: As loggers work on afforested areas that are generally in an isolated location, they often do not have access to fresh running water. This means that sufficient drinking water needs to be supplied for the loggers to prevent the risk of dehydration. Dehydration becomes a prevalent risk when the extreme physical labour required to perform logging work is paired with an extremely hot day or working in direct sunlight for prolonged periods.
   2. Heat Exhaustion: Prolonged exposure to extreme heat temperatures and the physical labour of logging can lead to heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion involves muscle cramps, excessive sweating, nausea, and dehydration. This then places the health and safety of the logger at risk.
   3. Solar Ultraviolet Radiation: Consistent exposure to sunshine whilst working as a logger can cause a host of health problems. Sunburn, eye damage, sunspots, and skin cancer can all result from constant exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation.
   4. Lightning Strike: While an extremely rare risk, being struck by lightning is still a prevalent hazard for loggers. Due to the height of the trees and the open clearings created after the trees have been felled, these areas are prone to lightning strikes. If a logger is caught in an open area, they risk injuries or possible death caused by being struck by lightning.
      

8. Noise Hazards:
   
   Loggers operate in highly noisy work conditions. From the crashing of trees to the constant whirr of chainsaws to the heavy machinery transporting the felled trees, the risk of hearing damages is prevalent for loggers. If loggers are not provided adequate hearing protection and allowed frequent breaks away from the noisy work area, hearing loss becomes a risk for the loggers.

EMCARE Health and Safety Course for Forestry:

EMCARE is a health and safety training company based in South Africa. With the high prevalence of South Africans who work in the forestry industry, we offer a range of health and safety courses that will equip students with knowledge and skills to perform their logging work safely. EMCARE is the total solution to your health and safety training for working safely in the forestry industry.

We have highlighted a few EMCARE courses, ranging from health and safety courses to a fire and hazmat course to a hand tool operator course, that will provide you with the necessary training to safely work in the forestry industry.

1. General Health and Safety Course:
   
   The EMCARE General Health and Safety Course is an excellent course for equipping yourself or your forestry employees with safety knowledge and skills. This EMCARE health and safety course outlines the principles of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, as well as general systems and hurdles that employees face in the workplace. This EMCARE health and safety course predominantly focuses on instilling an attitude of safety in the students, which will be highly beneficial for reducing the safety hazards for loggers in the forestry industry.
   
   
2. Safety Officer Course:
   
   The EMCARE Safety Officer Course is a critical health and safety course for the forestry industry. Every forestry site will need to have an accredited safety officer who will manage the safety of the loggers, craft specialised safety principles, perform risk assessments, and ensure that the work performed is compliant with South African legislation, among many other tasks. This EMCARE health and safety course will equip the student with exceptional training on how to be a safety officer in the forestry industry and therefore reduce the safety hazards that loggers face.
   
   
3. Chainsaw Operator Advanced:
   
   EMCARE offers three chainsaw operator courses, ranging from the basic course to the Chainsaw Operator Advanced course. We recommend the EMCARE Chainsaw Operator Advanced course for loggers as it focuses on specialised techniques for tree felling, safe practices, and operational safety requirements. This EMCARE course will provide loggers with essential skills in operating a chainsaw safely and reduce their risk of chainsaw accidents.
   

4. Snake Handling and Safety Awareness Course:
   
   The hazard of a logger being bitten by a snake whilst working can be reduced with the EMCARE Snake Handling and Safety Awareness Course. The EMCARE course covers snake identification, basic first aid for a snake bite, and venomous snakes indigenous to the location of your forestry work. This essential course will equip loggers with the skills to safely handle a snake should one arise during work.
   
   
5. Basic Fire Awareness Course:
   
   Should loggers be faced with a fire emergency in the afforested area, they need to be equipped with the skills to evacuate the area safely and calmly. The EMCARE Basic Fire Awareness Course covers will educate students on how to prevent fires and how to confidently handle an emergency fire. This knowledge and skills will ensure safety for loggers if they are ever faced with this forestry industry hazard.
   
   You have access to your selected EMCARE health and safety course across South Africa. From Johannesburg to Cape Town, you can easily find an EMCARE branch where you can receive your health and safety training. We strive to make every EMCARE health and safety course widely accessible so that anyone working in the forestry industry and who wants to further their safety skills can easily do so.
   
   Every EMCARE health and safety course is offered by professional trainers. All EMCARE trainers are qualified, experienced, and work professionally in the industry so that EMCARE can offer you an exceptional standard of health and safety training. With EMCARE, you will receive only the best health and safety training so that you can confidently rely on your safety skills in the forestry industry.
   
   EMCARE offers a health and safety course, and other exceptional courses, that will ensure the safety of every logger whilst working in the South African forestry industry.