Forestry Workers Research Articles

Occupational hand and wrist disorders among forestry workers: An exposed-control study to investigate preventive strategies.

In the arboriculture sector, some activities are still manually performed by forestry workers, which result consequently exposed to a high risk of developing muscle skeletal disorders. The Italian Compensation Authority reported an increase of work-related tendinopathies and carpal tunnel syndrome in loggers, but screening protocols are not available yet. The objectives were: a) to evaluate the prevalence of tendinopathies and carpal tunnel syndrome in a sample of loggers and b) identify a sound screening approach. 41 loggers and 41 paired control workers were recruited for a total of 164 hands. The protocol included 1) demographic data; 2) medical history; 3) identification of CTS symptoms through a questionnaire and a hand-chart; 4) upper limbs clinical examination; 5) Raynaud's diseases questionnaire; 6) wrists ultrasound; 7) NCS of the distal median nerve. The prevalence of tendinopathies was statistically significant only in the non-dominant hand (75, 5% in the exposed group and 53, 6% in the non-exposed group). The prevalence of CTS was 32, 2% in the exposed group and 15, 5% in the non-exposed group. The questionnaire had a sensitivity of 56, 7% and a specificity of 75%. The hand-chart had a sensitivity of 30% and a specificity of 92%. The clinical examination had sensitivity of 30% and specificity of 80%. The ultrasound had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 56%. Loggers are a population at risk of occupational hand and wrist disorders. The hand-chart could be considered, together with the questionnaire, as the best secondary prevention tool to diagnose CTS.

Seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens in outdoor workers from southern Italy and associated occupational risk factors

BackgroundVector-borne diseases (VBDs) represent an emerging global threat to public health due to the geographical expansion of arthropod vectors. The study aims to assess the seroprevalence of selected vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) in different groups of outdoor workers and the occupational risk factors for exposure to arthropod bites.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 workers recruited in two different regions of southern Italy, including farmers, forestry workers, veterinarians, geologists/agronomists and administrative employees, and tested for IgG antibodies against Bartonella henselae, Borrelia spp. Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia conorii, using a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). The relationship among job characteristics, tick exposure and the prevalence of seropositive subjects for each pathogen was investigated by applying categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA).ResultsA high seroprevalence for C. burnetii (30.0%) and R. conorii (15.3%) was reported, mainly in farmers (67.7% and 54.8%, respectively) and forestry workers (29.0% and 16.1%, respectively), while a low prevalence was observed for B. henselae and Borrelia spp. (8.8% and 4.1%, respectively). The regression equation by CATPCA was significant for C. burnetii and R. conorii (P < 0.001), showing a positive association with job, tick bite exposure, working area and contact with animals.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the need of activating an appropriate occupational health response for minimizing the risk of arthropod vector exposure in workplaces, considering specific preventive measures in particular in high-risk job categories.Graphical

Understanding the diversity of objectives among women forest owners in Finland

Women forest owners control a significant share of private forests in Finland, but they are often underrepresented in forest-related surveys. It also seems that women forest owners are less active in performing forestry work or selling wood; however, the information on women forest owners is sparce. The purpose of this study is to deepen understanding of the association between women forest owners’ activities and their ownership objectives. The study analysed a large survey ( n = 6468) collected as part of the Finnish Forest Owner 2020 research project. Overall, women forest owners were found to be less active in many aspects compared to their men counterparts. With k-means clustering, four different clusters of women forest owners with different ownership-objective profiles were identified. Differences in ownership activities between the clusters were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. Multi-objective women forest owners were more active than other women owners. Moreover, women forest owners who valued nature and recreation were less active than other women forest owners. This might indicate the lack of service-dominant logic in forestry-related services. By providing a more detailed understanding of women forest owners, the results aid the design of more equal and inclusive forest policies and forest services.

고용-자영승수를 활용한 농업과 타 산업 간 노동 연관관계 분석

The agricultural sector has a very high proportion of unpaid workers (selfemployed) compared to other industries. Therefore, when analyzing the labor linkage structure of agriculture and other industries, it is necessary to analyze not only agricultural employment but also unpaid workers. This is because the effects of employment changes in other industries on agricultural unpaid workers and agricultural employment are different. This study proposed the Employment Self-employed Multiplier, a methodology that can evaluate the effect of employment changes in other industries on changes in unpaid workers in agriculture. As a result of the Employment Self-employed Multiplier analysis, it was found that workers employed in agriculture were more likely to lose their job due to the effects of recessions or unemployment in other industries than unpaid agricultural workers, and the Agriculture-forestry-fishery service industry was found to have the greatest influence on the change of unpaid workers in crops, livestock, and forestry.

Background in forest engineering to work in urban forestry

Urban Forestry provides multiple ecosystem services and contributes to the resilience of cities. However there are no studies that discuss the background of professionals who work in this field. Thus, it was proposed to analyze the presence of the subject of Urban Forestry in Forest Engineering courses in Brazil. Searches were carried out in the e-MEC Registry to locate the Universities, and on their websites to find the Pedagogical Project or the Curriculum Matrix. To analyze the contents of the Syllabus, the IRAMUTEQ software was used. 68 Forest Engineering courses were located, which are offered by 60 universities and cover 24 states of the country, highlighting the North and Southeast regions, which offer 20 and 16 courses, respectively. 59 Pedagogical Projects were found and there was a lack of standard in the structure and content of the document. In the Curriculum Matrices, 79 subjects on Urban Forestry were identified, but only 27 exclusively address the theme. It was noticed that most of the subjects offered are complementary; only 12 are mandatory and, at the same time, only on Urban Forestry. The subject "Urban Forestry and Landscaping" appears 25 times. However, the two themes have different approaches and, in this case, the main focus was on Landscaping. The analysis of Text Segments of the 65 Syllabuses showed that most of the texts were about Landscaping. It was concluded that there is a deficiency in the background in Forest Engineering in Brazil concerning Urban Forestry, due to the low number of compulsory subjects offered.

Density effect on decline of Cedrus atlantica Manetti Ex Carriere in national park of Theniet El Had, Algeria

This study focuses on the study of the causal factors of Atlas cedar decline in the Theniet el Had national park, once classified as the first park in Algeria and the most beautiful cedar forest in northern Africa. Although severalstudies have been done on the causative agent of decline, none of them have confirmed the predisposing factors, thus weakening its vigor. Therefore, in this study, the search for possible relationship between dieback and ecological, dendrometric characteristics as well as the spatial distribution of trees were taken into consideration. 40 concentric circular plots of 200, 400, 500 and 1,000 m² were installed in the northern part of the park for dendrometric and edaphic surveys, in addition to rectangular plots of 200 m2 installed in the center of the concentric plots were measured of distance between trees and of the four radii of the crown. The results obtained showed that the circumference in the reduced areas (the circular plots of 200m²) declined significantly. The spatial distribution of the trees, schematized by the AutoCAD software, was chaotic and the crowns showed deterioration influenced by their overlapping. In 76% of the rectangular plots, the maximum area of the crowns had an overlap of more than 90%. The application of Schütz's inter-individual competition index also indicated that competition between trees was very important. This situation only explains the chaotic distribution of the trees, due to the lack of forestry work, imposes a competition between the trees causing, thus, the weakening of their vigor. Therefore, the establishment of a short- and longterm Atlas cedar decline management plan is of high recommended importance, in which adjusting the spatial distribution can promote the future strength and vitality of Atlas cedars.

A Seroepidemiological Investigation of Toxocariasis in Forestry Workers in Bulgaria

Determination of professional activities, which are connected with higher risk of toxocariasis, is very important for well-timed diagnosis and prevention. That is why our research aimed to investigate the spread of toxocariasis in people, whose professional activities are related with forests. Thirty-three people are included in the study – eight employees of Forest Research Institute at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, and 25 forestry workers from three different locations in South Bulgaria. The specific parasitological diagnosis of toxocariasis is performed with ELISA and Western blot. Presence of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies in ELISA was established in eleven forestry workers. This reveals very high seroprevalence of toxocariasis among this profession – 33.3%. Moreover, the examination of 15 sera (11 with positive and 4 with borderline ELISA results for toxocariasis) with Western blot showed the presence of two and more antigen bands in 11 samples (33.3%). These results show that professional activities in theforest could be defined as risk factor for development of toxocariasis.

PHOTOGRAMMETRIC 3D MEASUREMENTS IN FORESTS WITH ACTION CAMERAS

Abstract. This paper presents a study of the application of action cameras, such as the GoPro, for the extraction of 3D models in a forest environment. These cameras are very small and can be used by any operator, even in other forestry works, to collect imagery for photogrammetric post processing. The method implemented uses the Structure from Motion approach in order to obtain the 3D model. The model becomes georeferenced by means of the camera positions which are recorded by the camera navigation GPS receiver. The aim of the study is to assess the geometric accuracy of such methodology, especially in relative terms, in the evaluation of object dimensions. Several tests were carried out both in open sky and under trees, with worse conditions for GPS positioning. The results pointed to scale accuracy of around 3%, which may be acceptable for many applications. Accuracy can be improved by using a scale bar of known length placed in the scene. The method is intended to be used in tree measurements for forest inventory or other outdoor measuring.

An Analysis of Chainsaw Operator Safety Between Asian and European Countries

Work safety in the forestry industry, where chainsaws are used for tree felling, continues to be a top priority. The mobility of workers involved in chainsaw operations between Europe and Asia has become more common in today’s global workplace. Therefore, sharing knowledge about the types of work safety issues found in both regions can be beneficial. Increased knowledge and safety awareness in the workplace can contribute to a reduction in chainsaw accidents. This paper identifies and addresses four key related areas, namely: regulatory frameworks; chainsaw accidents; personal protective equipment and chainsaw training. Information for both regions was evaluated via interviews, questionnaires, direct observation, desk studies, field studies and descriptive statistical analysis. A total of 234 participants responded to the main research questionnaire, which resulted in data analysis of significant questions related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and possible causes of accidents. Key findings included a need for more information relating to the effect of regulations in individual countries and chainsaw accident and fatality statistics within Asia. A requirement for further research into the suitability of PPE used in Asia was identified. Inadequate training was seen as a primary factor causing accidents in Asia, while in Europe, it was due to chainsaw operators taking shortcuts. Inadequate workplace supervision and a lack of uniform and affordable training provision were common issues identified within both regions. Field tests carried out in accordance with the International/European chainsaw (ICC/ECC) qualification standards of the »non-profit« Awarding Body Association (ABA) International were successful in demonstrating the benefits of uniform training to participants in Europe and Asia. Overall, the study raises awareness of the fatal consequences of risk-taking behaviour to work safety, requiring a better understanding of the problem from a social psychology perspective. It identifies the self-employed or temporary worker groups as high-risk categories in both regions, with younger workers seen to be more at risk of injury in Asia and older workers more at risk in Europe. The findings demonstrate that, while there are differences between the two regions (at least within the participating countries), it is essential to provide quality education and raise skills by training and promotion of supervision in order to prevent chainsaw accidents. This can lead to the development of the building blocks of a holistic approach to safety in forestry work, which, as shown in this paper, can result in a decrease in the occurrence of accidents.

Exploring the Design of Highly Energy Efficient Forestry Cranes using Gravity Compensation

Although most mechanized forestry work relies heavily on cranes for handling logs along the supply chain, there has been little research on how to improve cranes design. In addition, the available research has mainly focused on improving current designs, so there is a lack of application of modern methods for designing cranes with improved efficiency.This paper analyzes how a mechanical engineering design method, known as gravity compensation, can be used to make a new generation of highly energy efficient forestry cranes. To introduce this design approach, a standard forwarder crane with two booms is used as a model system on which to apply gravity compensation concepts. The design methodology follows a procedure based on physics and mathematical optimization, with the objective of minimizing the energy needed to move the crane by using gravity compensation via counterweights. To this end, we considered to minimize mechanical power, because this quantity relates to how fuel and hydraulic fluid are converted into mechanical motion.This analysis suggests that using gravity compensation could reduce energy consumption due to crane work by 27%, at the cost of increasing the crane total mass by 57%. Thus, the original crane mass of 559 kg increases to 879 kg after applying gravity compensation with counterweights. However, overall reductions in energy consumption would depend on both the crane work and the extraction distance. The greater the extraction distance, the lower the total savings. However, energy consumption savings of around 2% could be achieved even with an extraction distance of 1 km.From a design perspective, this study emphasized the need to consider gravity compensation in the design philosophy of forestry cranes, not only for its ability to minimize energy consumption, but also due to all the inherited properties it provides. This initial study concludes that designing cranes with a combination of gravity compensation concepts could yield a new generation of highly energy efficient cranes with energy savings exceeding those reported here.

Use of outpatient and inpatient health care services by occupation\u2014a register study of employees in Oulu, Finland

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine how the use of outpatient and inpatient health services differs by occupational groups, and whether the differences are explained by sociodemographic factors and health status.MethodsWe used register-based data on 25–64-year-old employees living in the city of Oulu, Finland, in 2018 (N = 61,848). Use of outpatient health care services (public, private and occupational health care) among men and women was analysed with negative binomial regression models, and use of inpatient health care with logistic regression models, using two occupational classifications: occupational group (1-digit level) and more detailed occupation (2-digit level). Adjusted covariates were age, education, income, marital status, special reimbursement entitlements for medicines, and sickness absence.ResultsExamined at the level of larger occupational groups, the use of outpatient and inpatient health care was less common than average among managers, professionals and skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers; in women also among craft and related trades workers. Controlling for covariates explained only part of the differences, more among women than among men. Analysed at the level of more detailed occupations, the adjusted use of outpatient and inpatient care was more common among health associate professionals and stationary plant and machine operators, both among men and women. Furthermore, the use of outpatient care was common among male personal care workers, protective service workers and metal, machinery and related trades workers as well as among labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport, and female customer services clerks and sales workers.ConclusionThe use of health care services differs by occupation, and the differences are not fully explained by sociodemographic factors and health status. High occupational risks, attitudes and knowledge may explain the more frequent use of health services. Furthermore, explanations may be sought from lack of access to occupational health care or healthier working conditions and behavior.

TYPOLOGICAL MEANS OF TECHNICAL CONTROL OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ERGONOMIC INDICATORS OF MACHINES FOR FORESTRY WORKS

Today, during logging and timber transport works, most of the equipment is used, which was put into serial production in the sixties and seventies. Due to the lack of own funds, the enterprises of the forest complex have not upgraded machines for forestry works and equipment in recent years. In the structure of the existing fleet of equipment 80% is fully depreciated equipment, which must be upgraded or written off, and the disposal rate is 10 times higher than the renewal rate. The existing repair policy was formed in the premarket conditions at the appropriate ratios of prices for raw materials and machinery. At that time, the current concept of technical control of machinery for forestry work was created: tolerances, regulations, standards, etc. In the current economic environment, new approaches are needed to form a methodology for technical control and repair of machinery for forestry work. Technical support of operation of machines for forestry work can be considered as a tool to manage the stock of their potential, laid down in the manufacture and renewed (restored) during technical inspection and repair. Determining the moment to carry out work to restore the technical condition of the machine depends on various factors, often contradict each other. This contradiction is the initial prerequisite for finding optimal solutions among the many possible. In view of the above, it should be noted that relevant are research aimed at improving the technical control, repair and operation of machinery for forestry work. The article presents an analysis of methods of technical operation of machines for forestry work with consideration of the issues of saving their resources.

Private Forest Owner's Cooperation in Machinery Ring

Legislation and policy makers have recognized private forest owners cooperation in machinery ring as an instrument to support wood mobilization through efficient use of machinery. The study analyzes private forest owner's cooperation in the machinery ring in Slovenia and determines whether this cooperation contributes to wood mobilization from small-scale private forests. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the survey was conducted among the members of machinery rings at their annual general meetings (24 machinery rings participated in the survey, representing 64.9% of the total number of machinery rings). The questionnaire was distributed to all members present at the annual general meetings (n=529) and only those who were private forest owner or provided services within machinery rings were eligible to complete the questionnaire (n=438). In the second phase, data on the amount of service provided by machinery ring members were compared with the amount of felling in private forests for 2019 to gain insight into the extend of forestry work (timber harvesting) carried out in a private forest under neighbourhood assistance.The results show that machinery rings members are predominantly male, on average 50 years old, mainly with high school education and occupation in agriculture, owning on average 15.2 ha of forest. Regardless of forest management activities, machinery ring members perform forest management activities in their forest by themselves or with the help of family members. Only a small proportion of members use neighbourhood assistance to carry out the work. This most often occurs in the transport of timber. A very small proportion of members provide forest services through the machinery ring, but their scope of services is not insignificant. In 2019, machinery ring members most often performed harvesting activities with the chain saw, followed by timber skidding as a service. Equipment with machinery for providing services is good among members – about three quarters of them have a chainsaw and an adapted agricultural tractor, but this machinery is quite old, showing that machinery is insufficiently used for forestry operations. The results show that machinery rings are nowadays an essential part of strategic (operational) management in Slovenian agriculture and forestry, and provide important insights into the possibilities to improve forestry operations and the future development cooperation between private forest owners in machinery rings to support wood mobilization from small-scale private forests.

Understanding Household Vulnerability and Relative Poverty in Forestry Transition: A Study on Forestry-Worker Families in China’s Greater Khingan Mountains State-Owned Forest Region

China’s logging ban policy has profoundly transformed the forestry industry, creating substantial impacts for forestry-worker households. Empirical evidence is needed to examine whether and how severe the transition policy produces vulnerability and relative poverty for the affected households. This paper samples forestry-worker households from the Greater Khingan Mountains state-owned forest region as the study subjects to evaluate their household vulnerabilities with the LVI approach proposed by IPCC. This study computes the relative poverty scores of the families and further identifies the relationships between the selected household’s socio-economic factors and the estimated vulnerability and poverty scores with OLS regression. This study derives a sleuth of valuable points. (1) The majority of the forestry-worker households have had to suffer downsized, vulnerable livelihoods with escalated relative poverty due to the policy’s impact. (2) Poverty closely connects with vulnerability, where the more impoverished the household, the more vulnerable it is. Poverty is, however, not the only factor affecting household vulnerability. Other factors, particularly of public and social-financial factors, are interconnected with poverty and, thus, compound the vulnerability issue. (3) Factors, e.g., family size, age and gender of household head, bank deposits, and life and job satisfaction, which are typically very beneficial for improving family vulnerability and poverty. (4) Regular financial assistance programs, particularly the commonly-trusted one-off household compensation program, might not provide solid support for addressing long-term household vulnerability and poverty. This study contributes to a broader understanding of household vulnerability and relative poverty for improved policy and program development addressing forestry workers and household vulnerabilities.

ПРОГРАММНОЕ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ДЛЯ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЛЕСОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫМ И ЛЕСОЗАГОТОВИТЕЛЬНЫМ ПРОЦЕССАМИ: ОЦЕНКА ПРИМЕНИМОСТИ

Currently, in the Russian Federation, much attention is paid to the introduction of information technologies in all aspects of human life and society as a whole, and also affects the areas of banking, education, healthcare, industrial production, agriculture. The forest complex is a sphere of industrial production, in order to increase the efficiency of its functioning, information technologies are increasingly being used, which are based on modern enterprise management standards (ERP) and allow accounting for the costs of organizing the production process of the enterprise, as well as organizing the transfer of the necessary reporting data to public authorities. To improve the efficiency of the enterprise, it is necessary to evaluate the applicability of software in forestry and logging processes, as well as the possibility of modeling these processes. The degree of similarity and differences of software products in terms of applicability was assessed on the basis of statistical analysis - hierarchical classification in the IBM SPSS Statistics v25 application software package. (The degree of similarity and differences of software products by the degree of applicability was assessed on the basis of statistical analysis – hierarchical classification in the IBM SPSS Statistics v25 application software package). The conducted studies have shown that the software used in the Russian Federation is designed to automate operational, managerial, accounting and tax accounting by enterprises of the forestry and industrial complex, while the process of forestry and logging works is carried out only externally, without affecting the internal features of the process

Being a Forestry Labourer in the Late Ottoman Empire: Debt Bondage, Migration, and Sedentarization

AbstractThis article examines the survival strategies of forestry workers and craftspeople in the late Ottoman Empire. Through the example of the Tahtacı, a semi-nomadic community specialized in lumbering in the forests along the western and southern coasts of Anatolia, it visualizes the adaptation strategies of forestry labourers in the changing economic and ecological environment of the Mediterranean Basin, which became warmer, less forested, and more integrated into regional and global markets after the mid-nineteenth century. Contrary to the generally accepted view that perceives the Tahtacı as a self-isolated, authentic clan with a static way of life, this article considers them a highly adaptive community that developed a wide range of strategies to earn their livelihood under intense commercialization in forestry and agriculture.

Educational choices and labour market outcomes in times of crisis

In this article, we estimate the impact of a large negative trade shock on labour market outcomes and educational choices of workers. We exploit the Canadian lumber export crisis beginning in 2007 in a quasi-experimental design. The crisis was sudden and more pronounced in the forestry industry than in comparable industries. We find that the employment probability of forestry industry workers decreased by 3.8 percentage points following the crisis relative to other workers in comparable industries. While one would expect younger forestry workers to return to school in such circumstances, we find that in the first two years following the crisis, unemployed workers did not go back to school. However, going back to school takes time, and after 3 to 4 years, we find that education enrolment increases by 2.9 percentage points, with a stronger effect on younger individuals (7.8 p.p.). This suggests that increases in education enrolment are gradual, as it is easier to drop out than to enrol. Facilitating access to post-secondary institutions for workers who lost their job’s permanently would be a valuable policy intervention.

Even generalist and resilient species are affected by anthropic disturbance: evidence from wild boar activity patterns in a Mediterranean landscape

Humans have negatively impacted most ecosystems on Earth, altering how species use habitats and resources available to them, but also their circadian rhythms. Among many factors affecting animal activity patterns, conversion of native habitat into production forests and hunting are critical, and their impacts may be exacerbated by seasonal weather conditions. Both these factors are issues in Mediterranean Europe, especially in Portugal. Nevertheless, their impact on native species behavior remains largely unknown, even for generalist species often resilient to human disturbance such as wild boar (Sus scrofa). Therefore, we assessed temporal activity patterns of wild boar in Portugal to explore differences between habitats (native forest versus Eucalyptus plantations), hunting and non-hunting periods, or between seasons. We found that wild boars were primarily nocturnal, with greater nighttime activity more evident during the dry season and within plantations. Furthermore, they appeared to avoid dusk during the hunting season. Together, these patterns indicate that even a species typically resilient to disturbance and environmental change, such as wild boar, tends to avoid adverse weather conditions and disturbance factors, namely high daytime temperatures in summer and probability of encountering forestry workers or hunters. Accordingly, other more sensitive or resource-demanding mammals may also be affected, so evaluating the impacts of the studied anthropic drivers on other mammals should be prioritized to provide information for sustainable plantation management and hunting.

STIHL Timbersports® and the Reconceptualization of Modern Sport in the Light of Decontextualization and Eventification of Forestry Work

This article examines STIHL Timbersports® and its amalgamation of craftmanship, competition, eventification and branding, through the lens of decontextualization of sport. It thus revisits and revitalizes the concept of sportification, as well as discusses the characteristics of sport such as authenticity and “uncertainty of outcome”. The aim of the article is to grasp the different processes that challenge our common positions regarding sport, which may in turn progress sport beyond the prevalent conceptualization of modern sport.

Wearable technology for hazardous remote environments: Smart shirt and Rugged IoT network for forestry worker health

This paper introduces the architecture and details of our wearable IoT solution for workplace health and safety in rugged outdoor environments. We focus on the specific requirements defined by the New Zealand forestry environment as it is the industry with the most fatalities and highest accident rate in New Zealand. Neither consumer-level products nor professional wearables have been found to be suitable for forestry conditions. Furthermore, forestry workplaces cannot rely on existing networking infrastructure, and due to their remote and rugged nature, no permanent setup is possible. We describe the Hakituri project in which we integrate wearable devices, networking, data analytics, and a buddy system into a novel monitoring solution for worker health and safety. Our wearable IoT solution includes a dynamic network set-up, wearables suitable for forestry conditions, contextual rule-based data analytics, and real-time alerts. A wearable smart shirt carries sensors for collecting personal data from forestry workers, while further environmental sensors capture contextual data. The IoT network is set up for communication in unreliable and rugged outdoor environments. We explore a variety of setups to achieve the best quality outcomes for health and safety in the forestry domain.