Despite the fact that forestry has one of the highest frequencies of accidents, previous domestic and foreign studies have not tried to establish the influence of terrain, stand and work conditions on the accident occurrence. The study included 8 forestry concession holders, 58% of state forest territory and 319 cutting, skidding and tending accidents for 1999-2003period. We used binary logistic regression to study accident risk. Wehave found out that the level of research i.e. forest units used (compartment, compartment - work site, sub-compartment) has influence on the determination of danger and accident risk. The comparison of accident risk andnumber of accidents per volume of production (the number of accidents per 10.000m3) has showed that the course of both indicators can be totally different. Out of 22 closely examined factors in forest units where the accident did not happen and in units where accident happened, we have established that simultaneously 7 factors have influence on the accident risk.Thus the risk with the cut intensity above 10% is 2.2 times higher; with growing stock bigger than 260m3/ha, 2.3 times higher; and with inclination of terrain above 10°, 1.9 times higher; compared to lower values of these factors. At altitudes below 350m is the risk 1.7 times higher, from 350m to 560m 2.2 times higher, and from 560m to 800m 1.7 times higher than at the altitudes above 800m. In moderate wood bunching condition the risk is 1.7 times and in difficult 2.3 times higher than in good wood bunching condition. The risk increases with every additional cubic meter of wood cut by 1.0002 times and with every additional hectare by 1.02 times. The accident risk of forestry work is increased with worker's duration of exposure to the dangers, which are the result of worker's fatigue because of the cut volume, work site area and also direct dangers resulting from the terrain and stand conditions. The established accident risk factors are universal and independent of forest ownership as well as workersć experience and education (non- or professional).Results are useful mostly for strategic planning and estimation of occupational safety in forest industry.
|