Logging Operations Research Articles

A case study of the subjective workload of forest equipment operators in South Carolina

ABSTRACT Logging operations in the Southern United States have become more mechanized over time. However, extensive use of complex and heavy forest machineries for long durations increases operator workload, especially the cognitive demand. Working under demanding conditions can decrease the health of forest equipment operators over time, reducing productivity and increasing the risk of accidents. This study provides an initial assessment of the workload of logging equipment operators during timber harvesting operations using conventional wheeled feller-buncher, grapple skidder, and knuckle-boom loader harvesting systems by assessing the subjective workload of the logging equipment operators in South Carolina. In addition, we observed the heart rate of equipment operators to study the activities causing excessive physical and mental workload. Logging equipment operators self-evaluated their workload using the NASA Task Load Index, a subjective measure of workload. Results show no significant difference in the overall workload of equipment operators working at clearcut and thinning sites. The workload dimensions of Effort and Frustration contributed the most to the overall workload, while Performance had the least contribution. Sudden heart rate spikes occurred when operators conducted physical activities such as clearing debris from a felling head but were otherwise unobserved.

Using pack animals instead of tractors in Central Italy's protected areas: No evidence of reduced soil disturbance

In thinning operations in Mediterranean beech forests, pack animals are often used when topographic conditions do not allow for the use of mechanisation to perform logging operations. Otherwise, mechanised extraction is the primary choice. In an effort to reduce soil disturbance caused by mechanised ground-based logging, the forest authorities who guard protected areas have been mandating animal logging at all logging sites in recent years. Since no comparative scientific trials of soil disturbance of these two extraction systems have ever been conducted in the target setting, there is no scientific evidence to sustain this approach. On this basis, we chose two study areas where the forest authorities mandated animal logging. Each study area consists of three sub-compartments, one unharvested, one harvested by animals, and one harvested by tractor in the same year (2021). We examined soil compaction, soil organic matter, and soil microarthropod biodiversity in animal skid trails, tractor skid trails, soil unaffected by extraction methods, and unharvested control sites in each study areas. We used linear mixed-effects models, indicating the study area as random intercept, to investigate the effect of the experimental treatments on the target soil features, and to check the relationship among soil physico-chemical parameters and soil microarthropod biodiversity. We discovered that only the animal and tractor skid trails showed signs of disturbance in terms of soil compaction and organic matter loss. Additionally, there was a significant decline in the biodiversity of soil microarthropods in both the skid trail types, with values of the QBS-ar index which were practically halved in comparison to the control area. We did not find any significant difference in the values in the tractor and animal skid trails for any of the examined soil characteristics. Low soil microarthropod biodiversity was found to be correlated with high soil compaction in terms of penetration resistance and low soil organic matter levels, according to linear mixed-effects models. Despite our preliminary findings, we made it clear that the short wood system by a tractor fitted with forwarding bins is unquestionably a very soil-disturbing extraction system, that ought to be avoided when conducting logging operations in protected areas. However, pack animals are not a suitable solution to reduce soil disturbance. Other extraction systems such as chute, small-scale cable yarders, as well as combination of animals and machine avoiding extensive traffic on the forest soil, are better solutions to the fundamental issue of low-impact logging in protected areas.

Allelopathic Activity of Leaf Wastes of Liriodendron tulipifera for Sustainable Management

Logging operations of Liriodendron tulipifera L., as timber trees, and fallen leaves in autumn from ornamental trees produce a large amount of leaf waste. In this study, the allelopathy of L. tulipifera fresh and fallen leaves was investigated for the development of potential applications of leaf waste. The extracts of fresh and fallen leaves of L. tulipifera showed growth inhibitory activity against weed species, Vulpia myuros (L.) C.C.Gmel., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv., and Lolium multiflorum Lam., under laboratory conditions. The powder of L. tulipifera fresh and fallen leaves also inhibited the germination of E. crus-galli under greenhouse conditions. A potent allelochemical was isolated from fresh and fallen leaf extracts through a bioassay-guided separation process, and was identified as lipiferolide. Lipiferolide inhibited the growth of L. multiflorum and Lepidum sativum in a concentration-dependent manner. This investigation suggests that the leaf waste of L. tulipifera from logging operations and fallen leaves is potentially useful for the purpose of weed control, such as through the use of soil additive materials from leaves or the creation of foliar spray from leaf extracts. The development of weed control materials using L. tulipifera leaf waste may be a means with which to minimize waste, reducing environmental impacts and economic concerns.

PLCBlox: Using blockchain-based audit trails to generate secure PLC commands

This research paper discusses security issues with current deployments of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA) in the industry and proposes a solution that enables PLC devices to query a blockchain infrastructure for commands and setpoints. The blockchain assumes a dual role in this context: serving as an immutable audit trail database as well as a trusted source for critical commands and setpoints. In contrast to the conventional paradigm, this novel approach does not require write access at the PLC level, thus minimizes its attack surface and helping to protect against known and zero-day vulnerabilities often used in cyberwarfare, such as in the case of the notorious Stuxnet worm. Applications that enforce the logging of user operations for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or compliance purposes use the blockchain network as an audit trail database for user actions. Any attempt to maliciously circumvent the logging operation would not affect the operation of a critical process. Additionally, a prototype implementation developed as part of this research finds that modern PLC devices are more than capable of interacting with private Ethereum blockchain nodes. The required libraries and user code consume a small percentage of available resources, while the duration of a complete request-response cycle measured around 22msec. The authors anticipate that PLCBlox can be used as a drop-in replacement for applications requiring higher security standards and logging enforcement, such as nuclear power plants or other critical infrastructure.

The Influence of Logging-Related Soil Disturbance on Pioneer Tree Regeneration in Mixed Temperate Forests.

The recovery of soil properties and the proper growth of natural tree regeneration are key elements for maintaining forest productivity after selective logging operations. This study was conducted on the soil properties and natural growth of two pioneer seedling species of alder and maple which were on skid trails in the mixed beech forests of northern Iran. To examine the long-term effects, we randomly selected six skid trails, with two replicates established for each of three time periods since last use (10, 20, and 30 years ago). Random plots 4 m × 10 m in size, three plots on each skid trail and six plots on areas without soil compaction (control), were selected. Measurements included the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the growth, and the architectural and qualitative characteristics of the seedlings. The results showed that all the soil properties of the 10- and 20-year-old skid trails were significantly different from the control area (except for the soil moisture in the 20-year-old skid trail). The 30-year-old skid trail showed values of other soil properties which were not significantly different from the control area, except for the amounts of organic matter and soil nitrogen, which was less than the control. The skid trails had a negative effect on all of the growth, qualitative, and architectural indices of seedlings. The characteristics of seedlings were related to soil characteristics and had the highest correlation with the soil penetration resistance (R-value from -0.41 to -0.63 for stem growth, p < 0.05; -0.57 to -0.90 for root growth, p < 0.01; and -0.76 to -0.86 for biomass, p < 0.01). The correlation coefficient between soil penetration resistance and the Dickson quality index of alder and maple seedlings was, respectively, -0.74 and -0.72, p < 0.01. The negative effect of soil compaction on root growth (-27.69% for alder seedlings and -28.08% for maple seedlings) was greater than on stem growth (-24.11% for alder seedlings and -16.27% for maple seedlings). The amount of growth, qualitative, and architectural indices of alder seedlings were higher than that of maple seedlings. Although alder is a better choice as compared to maple seedling in the initial year, the results of our study show that it is recommended to plant both alder and maple on skid trails after logging operations.

Повышение ресурсного потенциала древесного сырья

According to the strategy for the development of the forestry complex of the Russian Federation until 2030, approved by Order of the Prime Minister of Russia no. 312r dated February 11, 2021, the contribution of the forestry industry to the country’s economy should increase by 2 times, including through deep wood processing. To this end, enterprises for deep processing of wood raw materials will be actively developed. Consequently, there will be a shortage of wood raw materials, which will lead to an urgent need to expand the raw material base of these industries. Despite this, as the analysis of the practical experience of modern logging enterprises has shown, today, during logging operations, only the stem part of the tree is removed from the cutting area, and the rest of the biomass in the form of stumpwood, branches, twigs and tops is burned or buried, although these parts of the tree are valuable raw materials for the production of many types of products of wood processing enterprises. This state of affairs is due to the lack of effective technology for processing potential raw materials in the places of their formation and a complex of mobile machines for its implementation. As a result, a technology for the production of wood and coniferous flour, technological chips and semi-finished wood-fiber products, as well as mobile equipment for its implementation, has been proposed for the processing of logging waste in the form of tops, branches and twigs. The article presents technological solutions and equipment models built in the SolidWorks computer-aided design system. The introduction of the proposed technologies, machines and mechanisms will increase the share of harvested raw materials per unit area, reduce the environmental load from the logging process, and increase the efficiency of the industry.

Impact of salvage logging on short-term natural regeneration in montane forests of the Alps after large windthrow events

Wind disturbances are one of the main drivers of forest dynamics in Europe, shaping forest stands and modifying the ecosystem services provisioning. Salvage logging is often most common strategy adopted after a high-severity disturbance in managed stands. Understanding natural regeneration dynamics including their interaction with the logging operations, is crucial to understand how forests will be changing under a climate with increasing variability and to design adequate adaptive post-disturbance management strategies. In this study, we focused on 148 stands damaged by storm Vaia (2018). The aim was to analyze natural regeneration dynamics under different logging systems and to investigate influences of site characteristics and disturbance legacies on sapling growth and seedling emergence. The sampling protocol consisted of one transect per stand, perpendicular to one of the intact forest edges, and with a length of 80 m. Along the transect, we collected soil cover, natural seedling and sapling stem density, and deadwood quantity in four sample plots of 3 m radius each at distances of 0, 20, 40, and 80 meters from the edge (592 plots in total). Regeneration species composition was mainly driven by previous stand composition, with some exceptions depending on seed dispersal strategy. Distance from the edge significantly influenced seedlings and saplings occurrence in large gaps and affected the browsing damage percentage, together with deadwood presence. According to GLM’s models, distance from the edge, elevation, and logging methods influenced seedling establishment. At the same time, species characteristics, edge structure, deadwood and logging damages significantly influenced pre-storm seedlings and saplings presence and health. In conclusion site factors, disturbance legacies, and logging strategies are key points to consider in post-disturbance management for a fast forest recovery.

Влияние состава древостоя на временной цикл работы харвестера

A brief analysis of studies on logging equipment has allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to further study the degree of influence of silvicultural and taxation indicators of the stand, containing quantitative data on the trees harvested and remaining for rearing, on the productivity of the harverster. The degree of influence of quantitative indicators of the stand on the work of the harvester is random, which is due to the infinitely wide variety of options for the spatial arrangement of trees in forest swathes. The article presents the results of a production experiment to assess the impact of the quantitative characteristics of the forest stand on the duration of individual elements of the cycle time of the harvester. The analyzed factors included the total number of trees per 1 hectare and the proportion of the felled component of the stand. These factors play a significant role in assessing the shift and hourly productivity of machines, however, when analyzing the duration of a number of elements of cycle time of manipulator machines, the importance of these indicators is underestimated by many researchers and, in order to increase the convenience and simplicity of calculations, these indicators are not used in justifying labour costs. Both factors have been considered at three levels of variation. As a result, the significant influence of the analyzed factors on the duration of 3 independent elements of cycle time of the machine (pointing the manipulator at the tree, hauling the trunk to the processing zone and moving the harvester between operating positions) has been proven. The experiment has been carried out using the Silvatec 8266TH harvester under conditions of its operation in the swathes characterized by various silvicultural and taxation indicators. The sequence of conducting the production experiment and statistical processing of the obtained data has been shown. The analysis of variance has allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to comprehensively take into account the analyzed factors when assessing each technological operation. The results can be used to improve mathematical relationships in calculating productivity and labour costs when designing logging operations.

Perceptions of and adaptation to changing winter weather by logging business owners in northern Minnesota, USA

ABSTRACT Focus groups with northern Minnesota logging business owners were held in spring 2023 to understand perceived and observed winter weather changes, challenges they may be facing due to any winter weather changes, and strategies they are taking to adapt to changing conditions. These discussions focused on logger perceptions of weather-related changes during the winter logging season over the course of their career, impacts of weather-related changes on harvest productivity, changes in business practices due to weather-related changes, and positive impacts due to winter weather changes. Most focus group participants are perceiving changing winter weather conditions and experiencing additional challenges to their winter logging operations due to these changes. They described how winter weather changes are impacting harvesting production and profitability, as well as how they have adapted their logging practices in response to these changes. The evolution of logging equipment and the characteristics of timber tracts available to harvest in winter, as well as greater sensitivity to soil rutting and compaction, make it difficult to discern the extent to which their observed changes in winter logging operations can be attributed solely to weather-related changes.

Semi-mechanized planting of saplings: pivotal results on the efficiency of a new method

Large clear-cut areas as a consequence of drought and bark beetle infestations necessitate extensive replanting efforts in German forests, leading to an increased interest in efficient planting systems. In addition to manual planting, mechanized and semi-mechanized systems utilizing surplus forest machine capacities available after completion of salvage logging operations are likely required for timely reforestation of the clear-cut areas. A semi-mechanized system utilizing a standard forwarder with a grapple-actuated soil borer for both, the transport of planting material and the preparation of planting pits, combined with two workers carrying out manual planting, was investigated in a time-and-motion study. The frequency method was used after video recording of a planting operation that covered an area of approximately 1.2 hectares. A total of 815 alder saplings (Alnus glutinosa L.) with heights of 1.2–1.5 m were planted. Observed productivity was 93 saplings per system work hour (SWH). With additional placement of stakes for stabilizing the plants, the productivity decreased to 42 saplings per SWH. While directly comparable results were not found in the literature, available productivity figures of purely manual planting systems do not suggest an increased productivity of this semi-mechanized system. Considering ergonomics, however, forwarder utilization provides reduced workload not only in plant hole preparation but also with material transport and clearing of planting spots. Both the ergonomic aspects of the system and, in particular, the suitability of the soil borer for different soil textures should be further investigated. Keywords: time studies; forwarder; stand regeneration; windthrow; forest operations

Problems of safe operation of saw chain sets of forest machines

Most of the volumes of timber harvesting in Russia and in developed foreign countries are produced by machine, using sorting technology. At the same time, in most cases, either harvesters (producing sorting in apiaries) or felling-packing machines and processors (producing sorting in the upper warehouse) are used to perform processing operations. The vast majority of these machines are equipped with saw chain headsets, the correctness of maintenance and operation of which directly affects not only the effectiveness of basic logging operations, but also the safety of their performance. The article discusses the basic rules of safe operation and proper maintenance of saw sets of forest machines.

Сохранение видового разнообразия растений при лесопользовании в ключевых биотопах Вологодской области

A reduction in the number of biological species can cause a loss of the integrity of the biosphere and its ability to maintain the most important characteristics of the natural environment. Therefore, scientific research and the development of practical recommendations in the field of conservation of biological diversity in forest management are currently of particular relevance. Measures to preserve biodiversity in forest management are reflected in the rules of timber harvesting, forestry regulations of forestries and forest development projects. The conservation of biological diversity in the course of logging operations is provided by allocating key biotopes – forest plots of a certain area, especially significant as habitats for rare species of animals and plants. The analysis of the Red Book of the Vologda Region showed that 29 % of rare species are confined to forest areas along watercourses. The study has been conducted at stationary sites within the boundaries of the Vologda Forestry of the Vologda Region (the Southern taiga area of the European part of the Russian Federation), represented by clear cuttings of 2018–2019 with the preserved key biotopes – forest areas along temporary water bodies. The average values for the plantations have been obtained on the basis of the materials from allotment and taxation of the cutting areas before felling. The work has been based on silvicultural and taxation, as well as ecological and biological methods of field evaluation and desk assessment. During the field studies (2023) in the key biotopes, a tally has been carried out by tree species, their diameters at chest height and categories of sanitary condition, with the determination of the average taxation indicators of the stands. The soils and the botanical composition of the live ground cover have been described. The species diversity and abundance of plant species in the key biotopes, as well as in the adjacent areas – in the cuttings and in the stands – have been determined. A higher number of species of taiga flora and the presence of rare plant species in the key biotopes, in contrast to the cuttings, have been established, which indicates the need to preserve the key biotopes during logging operations. Within the boundaries of the key biotopes studied, the average number of plant species in the buffer zone exceeds the number of species in the core of the biotope, the differences are statistically significant. Therefore, in the process of allotment of cutting areas, in addition to the allocation of the central part, or the core of the biotope, it is necessary to preserve a buffer zone as the area with the largest number of species.

Soil disturbance caused by timber harvesting in a natural forest, West Sumatera Indonesia

Logging operations in natural forests generally use bulldozers. Bulldozers skid logs from the stump site to the landing site. The bulldozer maneuvers in the felling area cause skid trails and soil compaction. Soil compaction is one of the negative impacts of logging operations. The research aim is to analyze the level of soil compaction in various bulldozer skidding intensities after logging operations. The research occurred at a natural forest area in Siberut West Sumatera, Indonesia. The results of the study showed that there was a relationship between skidding intensity and the level of soil bulk density. The more a bulldozer moves at the same skid trail, the higher the soil bulk density. The range of soil bulk density is from 0.82 g cm−3 to 1.31 g cm−3. The bulk density increases markedly after the bulldozer’s first, second, and third passes. After the fourth pass, the bulk density is relatively constant. The porosity of the soil decreases with the increase of the bulk density. On skid trails where the soil is very compact, seeds that fall on skid trails will have difficulty growing well. Requires planting on primary skid trails. Soil damage in the form of soil compaction by bulldozers needs serious attention in the Reduce Impact Logging technique.

Фильтрация шумов сканируемого LiDAR участка леса на основе цветовых моделей YCbCr и L*a*b*

Point clouds are widely used in ground-based forest scanning using LiDAR and stereo cameras. Point clouds&#x0D; often suffer from noise outliers and artifacts that distort data. Hardware accuracy and quality of the initial point cloud&#x0D; during ground scanning of a forest area can be improved by using scanners with higher expansion, as well as using&#x0D; photogrammetry or additional sensors. To eliminate noise, software methods can be used: point filtering, smoothing,&#x0D; statistical methods and reconstruction algorithms. A new approach to filtering the noise of the scanned forest area is based&#x0D; on the analysis of the values of the color components in the YCbCr- and L*a*b- spaces. The properties of the YCbCrand L*a*b-color models were investigated and threshold values for classifying points as noise or object depending on&#x0D; their distance to the centroids were determined. The use of a combined (YCbCr | L*a*b) filter on the point cloud reduced&#x0D; the number of points to 38 963 (17.41% of the original number). When calibrating the camera and LiDAR based on the&#x0D; (YCbCr | L*a*b) filter, the total average value of translation errors was 0.0247 m, rotation 6,244 degrees, reprojection&#x0D; 8,385 pixels. The noise-filtering method (YCbCr | L*a*b) shows high accuracy and reliability in removing noise and&#x0D; maintaining the integrity of objects in the point cloud, which will allow the data obtained on unmanned machines to be&#x0D; used later when performing logging operations.

Human Footprint on Natural Systems: Missing Post-war Scenario in the Urban Context of Damascus

All regions in Syria have witnessed a decline in green spaces due to the spread of illegal logging operations and a decline in interest in agricultural wealth due to the need for construction with the growing population during the past decade. In addition to the burning and destruction of many of them due to the war actions that took place during the period of the Syrian crisis, a war that affected the urban, architectural, and human fabric of the city alike, Damascus lacks sufficient green spaces compared to the cement blocks and its external facades considering global climate change. This unjust urban expansion, accompanied by the impact of the fires caused by the war, damaged humans and environment, extending from the heart of the city to its countryside and contributing to the erosion of its Ghouta in particular, the lung and living breath of Damascus, According to what we observe today, the dominance of the cement mass in the city plan of Damascus, with the lack of balance between it and the green space of gardens, public spaces, and public places.

Investigation of the Process of Obtaining Flour from Wood Greens of Coniferous Species

An analysis of the waste generation process from wood during logging operations is presented in this paper. The authors presented the concept of a device that can produce flour from green coniferous wood. An evaluation was also conducted regarding the quantity of waste derived from logging residues obtained directly from cutting sites, as well as the potential areas for utilization. The use of coniferous wood waste as a potential raw material for the production of various types of products is also noted. The concept of a mobile knife installation has been proposed for the generating flour from the greenery of coniferous trees, directly at the logging site. A multifactorial experiment was planned and implemented in order to determine the optimal design and technological parameters for the proposed installation and design of an industrial device. The investigation was conducted utilizing both analytical and experimental techniques. The use of a mobile installation for the production of flour from green coniferous wood, in conditions of logging operations, will expand the raw material base for the manufacture of products using pine needles, as well as reduce the amount of waste generated during the wood harvesting process. It will have a positive impact not only on the ecological situation of the environment, but also on the likelihood of a forest fire occurring and spreading.

Ergonomic Analysis of Logging Operations in Onigambari Forest Reserve

This study attempted to determine ergonomic analysis in logging operations in Onigambari Forest Reserve. It specifically examined the risk factors associated with logging operations in the study area. The study used a reconnaissance to obtain data from 51 loggers who were available in the forest reserve using a checklist. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count, tables and charts to achieve the study objectives. Our results showed that awareness of standard rules and safety regulations fell short of expectations, while the employers did not provide the necessary information and protective gadgets. Noise assessment showed that all workers were exposed to noise, but just 2% reported effects of noise on their work, while 21.6% reported effects of noise on their health. The study found that none of the workers had ever gone for an audiometry test. The workers agreed that accidents could affect their work; felling and breaking of tree branches were reported as the most common accidents, although worker carelessness was also reported to be a major cause, 56.9% of the workers were exposed to vibrations, of these, 39.2% were exposed to whole body vibration. 19.6% were exposed to hand-arm vibration. The study concludes and recommends that first aid boxes equipped with the necessary drugs be provided to limit, reduce and curb minor injuries from becoming complex ones. Personal protective should always be worn by loggers or operators for preventive measures as well as a reduction in hours worked per day.

Research on a Calculation Model of Cable Tension and Pumping Displacement of a Logging Tool String of Horizontal-Well Drillpipes

Summary With the vigorous development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, logging technology of horizontal-well drillpipes has become increasingly important. The improper selection of displacement during the pumping of drilling rods into horizontal wells can lead to accidents such as cable entanglement or tool-string pump detachment. Based on a comprehensive consideration of multiple factors such as drillpipe joints, small gap flow, pressure loss along the pipe, temperature, pressure, tool-string passability, and waterhole diameter variation, a cable tension analysis model for a logging tool string of a horizontal-well drillpipe is established. This model can predict a reasonable pumping displacement by analyzing the tension in the entire wellbore section, thereby avoiding cable entanglement or even tool-string pump detachment accidents during downhole operation. To verify the effectiveness of the model, we analyzed the cable tension during logging operations in Wells M1 and M2 using on-site test data and compared them with the measured tension data. The determination coefficient (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the degree of fit and accuracy of the model. The experimental results showed that the model can accurately predict the pumping displacement range before logging operations, ensuring that the cable does not entangle and the tool string is not pumped out during the downhole operation, thus providing effective methods and theoretical guidance for on-site drilling rod-pumping logging operations.

Experimental investigation of the rock cutting process and derivation of the 3D spatial distribution of the formation strength using in-cutter sensing

Recent advances in downhole measurements allow to accurately measure drilling forces at the drill bit, and estimate the evolution of the rock strength along the well profile. This paper presents an experimental methodology that allows to measure drilling forces, at the cutter scale, with a sensor embedded behind a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter, and to infer the 3D spatial distribution of the rock strength. Two experimental campaigns have been performed on a laboratory-scaled drilling rig and complemented with standard mechanical tests to validate rock strength estimations. In the first campaign, homogeneous synthetic rock samples have been prepared. The average rock strength of each sample derived from cutter force measurements and a cutter–rock interaction model, compares well with the one derived from mechanical tests. In the second campaign, heterogeneous synthetic rock samples have been prepared. They are made of two layers of gypsum mixtures of different strengths, separated by a slanted bedding plane. Based on the instrumented cutter measurements, the 3D spatial distribution of the rock strength has been reconstructed along its path. Rock strength estimations are consistent with results obtained from mechanical tests, and the reconstructed geometry of the bedding plane matches well its actual geometry. The experimental methodology and technology presented in this paper lay the foundations for estimating rock properties in 3D, at the drilling stage. It has the potential to provide geoscientists information about complex lithological structures at an early stage, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming coring and logging operations.

Evaluation of the occupational risk index of the forest faller

The purpose of the work is to assess the professional risk index of a forest feller, taking into account: ergonomic, psychosocial and hygienic factors and individual parameters, with the development of practical recommendations for reducing diseases of the musculoskeletal system, taking into account the adaptive capabilities of a person.To estimate the occupational risk index, methods were used to determine the danger from the working posture, the influence of psychosocial factors, and individual indicators. The assessment of the index of occupational risk of injury/disease of the musculoskeletal system was determined on a scale from 0 to 1. To determine the adaptation capabilities of forest loggers to resist physical exertion, we used the method proposed by R.M. Baevsky.A procedure has been developed for the assessment of the occupational risk index during the performance of various logging operations of a forest logger based on the assessment of ergonomic posture, the influence of psychosocial, hygienic factors, and individual parameters. It was determined that the work related to the technological process of harvesting wood and cleaning trees from branches and knots has the highest degree of risk. It is shown that the greatest influence on the value of the occupational risk index is caused by an uncomfortable ergonomic posture and a psychosocial factor, while when whipping whips and their loading – psychosocial and hygienic factors. It has been established that the greatest influence on the adaptive capabilities of a forest feller has an uncomfortable working posture and a psychosocial factor.The relationship between adaptation possibilities and the discomfort of the working posture, psychosocial and hygienic factors has been established.It is shown that for the felling of trees and sawed off branches, it is necessary to provide workers with high adaptability, while it is desirable to involve workers with low adaptability in the trawling of whips and their load.