Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 12/1/2023
Contact: Erika Scott – Project Director
Tel. (607) 547-6023 │erika.scott@bassett.org
In 2016, the Northeast Center (NEC) was funded for five years to conduct the Maine Loggers´ Health and Safety Study. We began by liaising with logging related organizations in Maine, including PLC, CLP, University of Maine and the Maine Forest Products Council, to name a few. In addition, we got advice directly from loggers, healthcare experts, and insurers such as MEMIC and Acadia. We were fortunate to travel to Maine many times, and had the opportunity to get to know the amazing people working in the logging industry. These trips ranged from participant recruitment, to health screenings, and presentations, to delivery of a series of customized logger health classes at the end of the study. In total, over 400 loggers participated in the study! We are so thankful for the valuable information each person contributed, ranging on topics from work-related injuries to chronic health issues, to wellbeing and beyond. As far as we know, this study is the most comprehensive look at logger health and safety in the entire United States. As a result, we were honored to be named PLC’s supporting member of the year in 2021 for demonstrating an “unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine”. Results can be found in published scientific papers, magazine articles, infographics, and on our Facebook page that was created to keep Maine loggers informed about the progress of this work.
Maine is still a focus of our research but the results from this study have far-reaching implications beyond the state’s border. Because of this, we are rebranding our Facebook page to cater to loggers in Maine as well as the rest of the northeast. Therefore, you will notice we are changing our Facebook page name to NEC Logger Health and Safety. We will continue to post information about timely logger health and safety issues, along with new research and results, upcoming trainings and news. Stay tuned to the latest developments at NEC Logger Health & Safety | Fly Creek NY | Facebook
Our work since 2018
Poster: PowerPoint Presentation (necenter.org)
Infographics: necenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/injury-loggers-Johnprintversion.pdf
photovoice-info-md2 (necenter.org)
Maine Logger Health & Safety Infographic (necenter.org)
melogger_health-infographic_2020-scaled.jpg (1920×2560) (necenter.org)
COVID report: Northeast Logger Executive Summary: The Impact of COVID-19 on Loggers (necenter.org)
In the news: NorthernLoggerarticledec2020.pdf (necenter.org)
SKM_C45820110911080 (necenter.org)
04 Live from the Loggers Expo — The Northern Logger Podcast
Press-Release_NEC-Letterhead_Final.pdf (necenter.org)
Conferences where this work was presented:
- (Upcoming June 2024) International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress 2024, Session: T2.30 Sustainable Forest Operations (SFO): Challenges and opportunities towards a resilient wood supply chain and worker’s well-being, Stockholm, Sweden
- Factors Associated with Injury among Maine Logging Workers. Scott E, Luschen K, Hansen-Ruiz C, Krupa N, Jenkins P. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) 2023 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT. 27 June 2023
- Factors Associated with Injury among Maine Logging Workers, International Conference of COFE-FETEC, Flagstaff, AZ (virtual), May 23, 2023
- American Public Health Association (APHA) November 2022 with the poster PowerPoint Presentation (necenter.org) on health screenings, Boston, MA
- Using wearable technology to track logging and fishing workers health and sleep. NIOSH Centers Meeting (Virtual). Research and Outreach Quick Take Session. Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, Moderator. Presented with Julie Sorensen, PhD. July 27, 2022.
- Timber! Forest Mechanization and the Impact on Logger Injury, Health, and Wellness. Bassett Medical Center, Research Grand Rounds. Cooperstown, NY. June 14. 2022.
- Northeast Epidemiology Conference 2022 on health screenings (Virtual)
- The impact of COVID-19 on the social connectedness of Maine loggers, American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Denver CO, October 25, 2021. Presented by Liane Hirabayashi, Coauthors: Erika Scott, Judith Graham, Nicole Krupa, and Paul Jenkins.
- The Impact of COVID-19 on the Northeast and Appalachian Logging Industry, Council of Forest Engineering Annual Conference, September 28, 2021.
- Shift Work, Fatigue and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Maine’s Logging Workforce, Council of Forest Engineering Annual Conference, September 27, 2021.
- Total Worker Health for Maine Loggers: Research Findings from Active Surveillance. International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) Virtual Conference 2020. July 2020. (Presented with Liane Hirabayashi).
- Tales from the Maine Woods: Initial Results from a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Logging Workers. Research Grand Rounds, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, April 21, 2020.
- Engaging with New Research Populations: Considerations and Challenges from the Maine Logger Health and Safety Study. Bassett Research Seminar, Clark Auditorium, August 21, 2018, Cooperstown, NY.
- Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) July 2018, Williamsburg, VA
Trainings:
- PLC Spring safety trainings with PLC 2019, 2022
Podcasts:
- MEMIC 2022
- Northern Logger
Expos and Trade Shows:
- Present at NELA Loggers´ Expo : Bangor 2017, 2019, 2023, Essex Junction 2016, 2018
- Present at NYS Woodmen´s Field Days Inc. since 2010
NEC forestry page: Forestry – Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (necenter.org)
NEC Facebook page: NEC Logger Health & Safety