Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
Non-fatal injuries in the West Virginia logging industry: using workers' compensation claims to assess risk from 1995
Jennifer L Bell1, James C Helmkamp
1Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505-2888, USA. jbell@cdc.gov
Background:
The logging industry has a high rate of both fatal and non-fatal injuries in comparison to other industries, and plays a vital role in WV's economy.
Methods:
Workers' compensation (WC) injury claims and employment data were summarized to examine patterns and rates of non-fatal logging injuries in WV from 1995 through 2001.
Results:
The average annual rate of injury claims was 16.0 per 100 workers per year with rates remaining relatively steady over the 7-year study period. The highest rates of injury were a result of being struck by an object, typically trees, snags, or logs.
Conclusions:
WV loggers most often file injury claims as a result of being struck by trees and tree parts, snags, and logs. Assessment of risk is a critical component in helping regulators, researchers, and the logging industry develop viable prevention strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of logging-related injuries.
