Woodyards can be a dangerous place. An active woodyard has heavy equipment constantly on the move. Logs are being unloaded throughout the day, and often, operators of the woodyard’s heavy equipment have poor visibility. Tractor trailers are constantly moving through woodyards and may not be familiar with the layout or potential hazards that may exist. This is especially true for those suppliers delivering logs to a woodyard for the first time.

In an effort to reduce accidents, FRA and the THATS Foundation provided funding in 2013 to create a woodyard safety video. Although each woodyard will have its own specific recommendations, the Woodyard Safety Video was developed to increase awareness, as well as to improve and standardize safety practices for those delivering timber and for woodyard operators.

The Woodyard Safety Video is less than 10 minutes but covers several important measures to have an injury free woodyard. The topics discussed are:

• Safety equipment
• Woodyard signage
• Communications
• Scaling protocol
• Designated areas (cleaning/unloading/stopping)
• Making maps of woodyard available to suppliers
• Railroad crossings
• Powerline hazards
• Unloading procedures
• Scaling out procedures
• Common courtesy while in the woodyard

When completing day-to-day tasks, it’s human nature to become complacent, and this complacency may increase the odds of an accident. The video is an excellent safety training tool for new employees and a good review for even seasoned wood suppliers and woodyard operators. Every woodyard should have a video on hand and should review it during a scheduled annual safety meeting. The video is available from FRA. The cost for the video is $50.00 for members and $100.00 for non-members. The link to purchase the video can be found here.