Logging Industry Workers

Loggers work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Most work 40 hours a week plus overtime. In the South, conditions usually permit year-round work, while workers in the West typically work only nine or 10 months a year because of the threat of forest fires. Snowy and rainy conditions interrupt work less frequently than they did before the introduction of rubber-tired skidders and forwarders, which make work possible even when snow is nearly three feet deep. When loggers cannot work, they repair equipment, work on farms, take other jobs, or go on vacation.

Logging can be physically uncomfortable and dangerous. Insects bite workers, and brambles scratch them. Working with heavy machinery, falling timber, and power saws poses many dangers. Terrain can be treacherous, with slippery mud, rocks, and vines underfoot. Of all workers, loggers have one of the highest accident rates on the job. However, safety in logging has been improved. Gloves, hard hats, ballistic nylon pants, and safety boots have helped reduce injuries. Safer power tools and increased government regulation and inspection of logging operations have also reduced dangers.

Workers who enjoy the camaraderie of crew work and working outdoors in a rugged, unstructured atmosphere should enjoy logging. Few of today's loggers live in logging camps, as was standard in the early 1900s. Improvements in roads and vehicles have made it possible for loggers to return home at night and drive or ride a crew bus to work in the morning.