Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Toolbox

Occupational Health and Safety in Forestry

The Occupational Health and Safety in Forestry Module is aimed at all forest workers, particularly forest managers and supervisors. It provides basic and more detailed information on the dangers to human health and safety posed by some forest activities and identifies measures that can be taken to mitigate these.

The module also provides links to relevant tools and cases.

Apud E., Bostrand L., Mobbs I. & Strehlke B. 1989. Guidelines on ergonomic study in forestry. Geneva, Switzerland, International Labour Organization.

Apud, E. & Meyer, F. 2004. Ergonomics. In J. Burley, J. Evans & J.A., Youngquist, eds. Encyclopaedia of Forest Sciences, 2: 639–645.

Axelson, O. 1974. Heat stress in forest work: an attempt to evaluate the physical work capacity of forest workers as influenced by a hot climate. Rome, FAO Swedish Funds-in-Trust, No. 74. 31 pp.

FAO/ECE/ILO. 1999. Improving working conditions and increasing productivity in forestry. Seminar proceedings. Zvolen, Slovakia, Forest Research Institute.

FAO/ECE/ILO. 1996. Safety and health in forestry are possible. Seminar and workshop proceedings, Komolfingen, Switzerland. Bern, Federal Office of Environment, Forests and Landscape.

FAO & ILO. 1980. The chainsaw in tropical forest. Rome, FAO.

International Labour Organization. 2011a. Forestry. In P. Poschen, ed. Encyclopaedia of Occupational Safety & Health, 68. (available at http://www.ilo.org/oshenc/part-x/forestry)

International Labour Organization. 2011b. Productive and safe work in forestry: key issues and policy options to promote productive, decent jobs in the forestry sector.

Poschen, P. 1993. Forestry, a healthy and safe profession. Unasylva, 44(172): 3–12. Rome, FAO.

Staal-Wasterlund, D. 1998. A review of heat stress research with application to forestry. Applied Ergonomics, 29(3): 179–183.