Logging Safety - Sort Yard Landing Hazards

Sort yards and landings are very busy places. Often times, space in the area is restrictive and there are several activities occurring simultaneously. The following is intended to help you identify and avoid hazardous situations, and prevent employee injury:

Considering the amount of work, be sure that only authorized workers are allowed in the yard or on the landing.
Require all employees to wear high visibility clothing or fluorescent hard hats.
Never allow machinery such as loaders, shovels or yarders to set up within 4 feet of a log deck or other fixed item.
Truck drivers should stay in the cab of the truck or move away from the truck during loading and unloading operations. Truck drivers should wear hard hats and high visibility clothing.
On landings, plan the work so knot bumpers are working in areas where shovel operators can see them, and that they stay out of the swing radius of the machine.
In sort yards, make sure employees are not working in the same skid as loaders.
All employees using chain saws should use required personal protective equipment including chaps, hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves.
Do not allow anyone on the landing or in the sort yard to use non-work-related radios or portable tape players that could distract their attention.
Be sure that all equipment has the proper type & size fire extinguisher and that it is inspected at least monthly.
Make sure there is a fully stocked first aid kit, two blankets, neck brace, splints and a back board at each landing or sort yard.
Insure that all employees have a current First Aid/CPR card.
Maintain a functional radio at each location that is capable of reaching base camp or the nearest community.