Background Logging remains one of the most hazardous industries in the United States, despite many safety improvements made in the last decades. Currently, we know little about regional trends in health conditions of logging workers, especially in the Northeast. However, the forest products industry is a critical component of the Northeast's economy, especially in the State of Maine. Methods This paper reports on the baseline data of a longitudinal cohort study involving Maine loggers, aimed to assess the health and safety of the industry. Results Three hundred twenty‐five are included in these analyses, 246 mechanized loggers, and 79 conventional. On average mechanized loggers worked longer days (11.8 vs 9.7 hours) and had longer commutes from home to the woodlot (72.6 vs 40.7 minutes) than conventional loggers. For health factors, mechanized and conventional loggers had similar responses. Nearly two‐thirds of both mechanized and conventional loggers had an annual physical in the previous year, and 36.3% had seen a health specialist during that same time period. The overall work‐related injury and illness rate is 6.8 of 100 workers for this cohort. Conclusions These factors contribute to a need to work with the community on transforming logging into a safer and healthier profession for the current workforce, as well as the workforce of the future. This study provides the basis for an appropriate intervention, in collaboration with the loggers and industry stakeholders, to improve the lives of these vital workers.

Accident and suicide are the two main epidemiological categories of poisoning; at home and at work are the two main places for it to occur; and clinically it may conveniently be classed as acute or chronic. Availability plays an important part in the incidence of poisoning and in the choice of agent by a person intending suicide, in the substance swallowed by a child, and in the toxic agent affecting a man at work. Agents and IncidenceModern engineering practice and the application of stringent regulations have greatly reduced the incidence of acute and particularly of lethal poisoning in industry, but chronic poisoning is more likely to be encountered there than in the home. Poisoning accounts for only 8.5 % of all fatal accidents in males and for 13.5% in females, and this includes the whole incidence of fatal poisoning in children. Of the number of cases of poisoning admitted to hospital, however, those due to accident account for 39% of the whole, and this is largely because of cases of mild poisoning in children, which occur mainly at home.The relationship of age to accidental poisoning shows a marked tendency for toddlers to be affected. In a series of such cases in Cardiff 61 % were toddlers. Boys are more frequently involved than girls. Poisoning figures prominently in suicide. Of all cases of poisoning admitted to hospital in Cardiff from 1950 to 1963 61 % were suicidal.So far as can be seen from Cardiff hospital admissions (1950-63) some 50% of episodes of poisoning are due to prescribed medicines, 27% due to bought proprietary medicines, and 23% due to household substances, including coal gas. Of the adult cases of attempted suicide admitted to hospital barbiturates are involved in 49%, aspirin in 16%, carbon monoxide in 18%, and other substances in 17%. In all admissions for accidental poisoning (adults or children) barbiturates account for 17 %, salicylate for 20%, gas for only 3 %, and other substances for 37%. Alcohol is involved in about 23% of adult cases of accidental poisoning.There are three classes of causative agent most commonly associated with poisoning in the home.(1) Soporifics. These include (a) barbiturates (by far the commonest); (b) glutethimide (important because it can cause dangerous coma); (c) tranquillizers such as the phenothiazines; (d) minor tranquillizers like chlordiazepoxide; and (e), in a few cases, opiates. Alcohol is always a severe complicating factor.(2) Minor Analgesics. Aspirin is the most important, but any drug of this type-phenacetin, compound codeine tablets, paracetamol, and rarely (in children) methyl salicylate-may be featured.

While logging is recognized as one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, we discovered that cardiovascular risk factors, especially hypertension and obesity are a growing concern among logging equipment operators. Improving modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among loggers should be a priority for this industry.