WORK CONDITIONS OF CHAINSAW OPERATORS

• Autor(a) principal: Sant’Anna, Cleverson de Mello
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Malinovski, Jorge Roberto
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Cerne (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://cerne.ufla.br/site/index.php/CERNE/article/view/472
• topic: Timber harvesting; work conditions; human factors; chainsaw

The objective of this research was to analyze the human factors and the work conditions in clear-cutting operations using chainsaws in mountainous areas. Data were colected in a forestry company in Minas Gerais, Brazil, by interviews with 29 chainsaw operators. The results indicated that the operators average age was 32.3 years, height 1.68m and body weight 64.4Kg. The average job time in the company was 112 months and the average time of chainsaw operation experience was 81.5 months. Most (93.1%) were dexterous and 6.9% were left-handed. The high incidence of backache (41.4%) indicated that the task demands an overload of lumbar column, so that the company should take preventive measures to avoid backaches, using educational strategies or changing the opera-tional system. The high level of accidents (44.8%) indicated that some precautions are needed to im-prove work safety.