Logging injuries for a 10-year period in Jilin Province of the People's Republic of China

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Abstract

Problem: Logging continues to be a major source of injuries in northeast China. This paper describes logging-related injuries in the Jilin Province of the People's Republic of China. Methods: Logging fatalities and nonfatal injuries were summarized from 1981 to 1990 in Jilin. Injury data from 1991 for the entire forestry sector in China were also analyzed. Results: Fatalities were mainly from of head injuries and were caused by being struck by an object. Nonfatal injuries were most often to the lower extremities and the head and were normally caused by being struck by an object or a fall or slip. The majority of both fatal and nonfatal logging injuries occurred to workers with less than 1 year of employment and those under 35 years old. Most injuries occurred November through March in Jilin. Impact on industry: Patterns of logging injury in Jilin of China were similar, but not identical, to those described in other studies of logging injuries worldwide. Methods found to be effective in reducing logging-related injuries in other parts of the world might be used in China to reduce the injuries associated with logging.

Introduction

With approximately 696 million employed people (China Statistical Publishing House, 1998), the People's Republic of China has the largest workforce in the world. Despite the large number of workers, the study of injury and occupational epidemiology is a relatively new field in developing countries such as China Guidotti, 1997, Li & Baker, 1991, Murray & Lopez, 1997. In the United States, risk of occupational injuries and deaths is comparatively high for workers in industries such as mining, construction, and logging Leigh, 1988, Myers & Fosbroke, 1994, Myers et al., 1998. Logging, in particular, is recognized throughout the world as extremely hazardous work International Labour Organization, 1981, U.S. Department of Labor, 1994. Unlike Scandinavian countries and some regions of the United States, logging operations in China are not highly mechanized. Harvesting systems in China are man–machine combinations involving operations in the woods, timber transportation, and operations at log yards. Felling, delimbing, and skidding are conducted on-site and bucking is usually performed in a centralized wood yard. Typically, logging operations are seasonal, with high labor intensity. Because of poor management, workers' low level of education, and lack of resources, safety is often neglected in many Chinese logging operations (Institute of Forestry Machinery, 1990). The objective of this paper is to describe the logging-related injuries and fatalities in a forest region in northeast China, as these have not been addressed in the literature.

Section snippets

Methods

The Jilin forest region, one of the largest forest regions in China, is located in northeast of the country with about 7.18 million ha (17.7 million acres) of forested land. Species composition in the area is 80.3% hardwoods and 19.7% softwoods (Che, Yang, Wang, & Shi, 1990). The most common harvesting systems are the partially mechanized tree-length systems, where felling and delimbing are manually performed with chainsaws and skidding is performed with cable skidders.

The forestry sector in

Results

According to the Forestry Year Book of China (Ministry of Forestry of China, 1991), the absolute number of injuries in the forestry sector in China decreased between 1980 and 1991. The logging industry accounted for the majority of injuries in the forestry sector, with 4,499 nonfatal injuries (65.5% of total injuries) and 105 fatalities (43.4% of total fatalities; Table 1). This was followed by the agriculture, forestry, and fishing group, and then by primary wood processing. These industries

Discussion

The timber-harvesting conditions found in the Jilin Province in China are not exactly like other regions of the world. Therefore, the results of this study cannot be directly associated with other studies of logging injury. However, some comparisons can be made. For example, many areas in the mid-Atlantic United States have forest conditions similar to those found in the Jilin Province in China. States such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland have harvesting systems

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Qingyu Hao and the Jilin Department of Forestry, China, for the discussions and sharing of the logging injury data. Lynn Jenkins and John Myers of NIOSH provided thoughtful criticisms on earlier drafts of the manuscript.

Jingxin Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Forestry at West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. He received his PhD in Forest Resource Management from the University of Georgia.

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    Jingxin Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Forestry at West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. He received his PhD in Forest Resource Management from the University of Georgia.

    Jennifer L. Bell is a Research Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV. She received her PhD in Wildlife Biology from West Virginia University.

    Shawn T. Grushecky is a Research Associate, Division of Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. He received his MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University.

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