Date of incident: August 2016
Notice of incident number: 2016162930010
Employer: Logging company

Incident summary
A worker (a bucker) entered an area where a faller was falling a large tree. The faller lost control of the tree, which fell in an unexpected direction and struck another tree, causing it to also fall. The bucker was struck by one of the falling trees and was seriously injured.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Failure to maintain two tree-length distance from tree being felled. The bucker had been instructed to work in the landing area, bucking felled trees away from the active falling area. After completing his work, the bucker entered a narrow band of timber between two falling zones to look for more work. The bucker inadvertently entered the danger zone, where he was struck by a falling tree.

Contributing factors

• Poor falling procedures. A stump examination after the incident showed that the undercuts were too deep (over 30%). This led to the tree falling and then causing another tree to break and fall. In addition, escape routes had not been cleared in the underbrush around trees being felled.
• Inadequate supervision. The bucker’s work was not adequately supervised to ensure he stayed in the landing area and away from falling activity as he had been instructed. The bucker, who was a new worker, did not receive an orientation to the worksite. As a result, he may not have been aware of the hazards presented by an active falling zone. The bucker should have been supervised more closely and should have been oriented to working near an active falling zone.

Other safety issues

• Inadequate planning. The employer failed to plan the forestry operation, including coordinating activities between the workers present on the worksite. This resulted in at least three workers being exposed to the hazards in an active falling area.

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