A Review of the Literature for Forestry Health and Safety: The Last Ten Years

Recorded On: 10/26/2023

Summary: Foresters and loggers work in the most hazardous industries with high job-related injury, illness, and fatality rates. This workforce faces unique environmental exposures, ergonomic challenges, and health disparities across all ages. The last comprehensive literature review in forestry health and safety for NIOSH was completed in 2012. Under a NIOSH IPA project, AgriSafe conducted a forestry health and safety literature review for publications from 2012 to 2022. The objectives of this review were 1) uncover the health and safety issues currently facing the forestry and logging workforce, 2) identify any new trends or topics in the literature, 3) identify areas of training and health needs 4) identify healthcare access issues impacting the forestry workforce. Final results of this project will be shared with the audience. Findings in this project will contribute to NIOSH’s priorities for forestry occupational health and safety and the literature. The literature review will inform and prioritize future forestry training needs through AgriSafe’s OSHA forestry training projects.

Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to understand…

Summarize the findings of the literature review.
Identify areas of training and health needs in health and safety for forestry workers.

Intended Audience: This course is intended for agricultural safety/forestry professionals working in the industry, extension, academia, or safety centers and workers in forestry and logging, including logging owners and first-line supervisors/managers of forestry workers.

Tara Haskins, DNP, MSN, RN, AHN-BC

Total Farmer Health Director

AgriSafe Network

Dr. Tara Haskins oversees partnerships to support AgriSafe’s Total Farmer Health initiative. She is also responsible for AgriSafe’s mental health programming. Tara contributes to curriculum design and implements new Total Farmer Health trainings that optimize and expand upon existing programs. She collaborates with organizations and government agencies that are interested in using the Total Farmer Health model as a public health framework.

Tara has worked in healthcare as a registered nurse for 37 years with clinical experience in medical surgical, critical care, crisis intervention and opioid and alcohol outpatient treatment. Dr. Haskins worked for 11 years in academia as lead faculty in musculoskeletal and psychiatric mental health nursing content across three universities.