Portland, OR — Logging is a high-risk occupation. A new online training program from the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences is aimed at educating logging industry workers on rigging and yarding safety.
Topics covered by the free course – available in English and Spanish – include yarding systems, rigging recommendations, rigging crew procedures, common industry hazards, various jobs on a logging crew and types of elevated supports.
Adapted from Oregon OSHA’s Yarding and Loading Handbook, the course also features:
- Industry-relevant examples based on real-world safety issues
- Self-paced learning modules
- Short micro-learning modules
- Downloadable resources for on-the-job use
According to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, logging industry workers are 33 times more likely to sustain a fatal workplace injury compared with those in other civilian occupations. In Oregon, 53 workers in the industry died between 2018 and 2023.
Nationally, 249 logging, conservation and forestry workers died in job-related incidents between 2018 and 2022.



