PILOT SCOPE - Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention - PILOT PROJECTS Testing and Educating Loggers on the General Effectiveness of chainsaw chap protection

Kentucky’s forest industry contributes $19 billion annually to the state economy and supports more than 59,664 jobs, making it one of the Commonwealth’s most vital economic sectors. Kentucky is one of the nation’s leading producers of hardwood sawlogs, harvesting over 700 million board feet of sawtimber and 1.2 million tons of pulpwood each year. Although timber harvesting directly accounts for approximately $222 million (2.5%) of the sector’s contribution, logging is the indispensable first step in the supply chain; without it, the entire industry collapses. Regardless of its economic and ecological importance, logging remains the most dangerous occupation in the United States, with a fatality rate of 135.9 deaths per 100,000 workers. These risks underscore the urgent need for research-driven strategies to enhance logger safety, mitigate occupational hazards, and promote the adoption of proven protective equipment. This project will investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of chainsaw chaps protection as a critical safety intervention. Through controlled testing, research will generate quantitative data on protective performance and develop best practices for training and adoption. Dissemination of this information will be completed using both indoor and field practicums in the Kentucky Master Logger Program (KML), a legislatively mandated state-wide comprehensive logger education program. The outcomes will provide evidence-based strategies to reduce injury risks, improve workforce safety, and strengthen the sustainability of Kentucky’s forest economy while safeguarding the individuals whose work underpins the entire forest industry sector.