Forests are beautiful places with many trees to enjoy. The earth’s land area is covered nearly 30 percent by trees. In addition to being beautiful, these lofty timbers supply us with many things, including many jobs. One of the most dangerous jobs involving trees is that of a ‘lumberjack’ or logger.

Being a lumberjack involves many difficult tasks including: initial harvesting of trees; felling and cutting of trees; getting the timber ready for processing; and transporting the trees to supply the vast needs for forestry products. In addition, a logger is one of the most challenging jobs in the forestry industry since it demands physical strength, fitness and quick reflexes.

Past History

This job existed before any modern forestry equipment, such as chainsaws, existed. They mostly worked in camps that followed the harvesting jobs as they occurred. It was seasonal work and performed primarily by men. They worked with axes and saws and a lot of determination and grit!

Current History

Today, the profession of a lumberjack is not only about harvesting trees but involves a wider scope of responsibility. This is the reason loggers (which is the term currently used for lumberjack) need to know trucking regulations and have fundamental knowledge of forestry and land management. In addition, they must be trained and certified in first aid and CPR so they can properly respond to an emergency that may occur in their work area. This occupation now is more about the needs of the logger in order to be able to complete their tasks both productively and safely.

Daily Routine

Usually a logger has long work hours depending on the current cutting projects. They travel a great deal to each separate job site and frequently work in teams where there is a specific division of duties to accomplish the job. These daily operations depend on the needs of the clients for whom they are cutting the trees. The project could either be a selective cutting, where the clients usually select the trees by marking them with tape or paint; or it could be a group selection cutting, where clients may decide to designate an entire area for clear-cutting.

Equipment

Lumberjacks are generally aided with machinery and equipment for their day-to-day operations. This machinery includes skidders, chippers, stump grinders, chainsaws, forestry trucks and many others. Routine maintenance is usually required on this equipment since it is expensive and used in daily logging operations.

Workplace Safety

Statistics show that lumberjacks have the most dangerous job in the forestry industry. Being cut by a chainsaw or crushed by giant logs, and then facing a long distance from the cut location to a hospital are some of the risks that these workers face. Therefore, guidelines have been implemented for safety in the workplace; safety meetings and training seminars are mandatory and need to be conducted regularly for their own safety.

Competition

Participating in a lumberjack competition, or ‘loggersports,’ is one of the benefits of being a logger and is the lighter side of this career. With their day-to-day work and first-hand experience in the field, a logger has the advantage of having polished and near perfect skills. This competition has become a light-hearted way to recall the rich history that this difficult job encompassed.

It is true that being a lumberjack demands more of a person’s physical strength, yet the rewards this career choice offers such as adventure; the thrill of overcoming risks; and the outdoor experience is worth the price. All the furniture and buildings being used today came from the efforts of the lumberjack who brought these results out of the forest and into everyday life – quite an achievement!