The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been putting an emphasis on logging safety, and has cited multiple companies for safety violations in recent months. They are operating a local emphasis program in West Virginia in the hopes of cutting down logging injuries there. More than a quarter of all occupational fatalities that occurred in West Virginia in 2015 were logging related.

The A and S Tree Service of Clay, West Virginia, received two willful, 11 serious and three other-than-serious violations as part of the emphasis program. Their employees were not required to wear protective boots or face protections while they were cutting trees. They were not using the correct undercuts when they were cutting down trees. The proper undercuts help loggers control the way in which the tree falls and if a tree falls the wrong way that could put workers in danger.

Ray Clearing Inc. of Bickmore, West Virginia, was cited for one other-than serious and 22 serious safety violations after an inspection of August last year. They were allowing employees to work without the proper heavy logging boots or other protections when they were operating chainsaws. They also allowed employees to ride in vehicles without seat belts, a hazard in any industry really but especially in logging where heavy machinery and heavy vehicles are common.

Ross Logging of Seth, West Virginia, was cited for two willful violations and nine other safety violations. These workers also were not required to wear cut proof boots. Their employees were allowed to “drop start” their chain saws which is dangerous because workers hold the chain saw in one hand and pull the cord with the other. The saw could kick back towards the operator using this method. If the saw is started on the ground while it is held down either with a hand or the foot, the user has more control over it.

“Compliance with OSHA’s logging standard will eliminate many of the fatal accidents and greatly reduce the number of lost work day injuries occurring in the logging industry,” said Prentice Cline who is the director of the OSHA Charleston Office.