Wood-Logging Process Management in Eastern Amazonia (Brazil)

Abstract

In this work, the wood-logging process of four federal conservation units (FCUs) in the Eastern Amazonia forest are described and compared. The approach focused on on-site observation of activities and tasks performed during the process. As an outcome, it was observed that companies implement activities similarly, regardless of their specific know-how. The most significant difference was identified in the cross-cutting operation, which is carried out in several steps and which interferes with the efficiency of the activity and the exposure of workers to occupational risks. The use of geographic information systems (GIS) during planning and management activities, and the use of modern machinery equipped with safety devices, in combination with workers’ theoretic and practical continuous training, were identified as crucial measures that assure operational efficiency in the four companies assessed. Seeking to contribute to the sustainable development of the Amazon forest, a generic model for wood logging is proposed, which brings together best practices identified in the companies studied and makes it possible to obtain the best benefit at the lowest workers’ exposure to the risk of occupational accidents.

The Effects of Soil Moisture on Harvesting Operations in Populus spp. Plantations: Specific Focus on Costs, Energy Balance and GHG Emissions

“…However, always considering the concept of SFO, assessing and optimizing work performance is not enough to obtain sustainable logging. The environmental aspect is also fundamental [24][25][26][27]. Along with soil impact and stand damage, greenhouse gases (GHG) emission related to mechanical operations is a major aspect to be evaluated so as to assess the environmental performance of a given harvesting system [28,29].…”

Occupational Risk Assessment in Native Rainforest Management (MIARforest)—Parameters Definition and Validation

“…To adapt the MIAR to the reality of native rainforest management activity, information was collected face-to-face in the Brazilian federal government forest holdings in the eastern Amazon. This data collection focused on the relevant hazards and risks at different stages of the management process [33]. Subsequently, a first draft of the MIAR forest was developed based on this information and in the reference literature on this topic [7,13,14,34].…”

“…An illustrative example of an activity with only one task is the felling activity, traditionally performed by the following professionals: chainsaw operator and helper. The five levels of severity of occupational accident occurrence as a function of the number of tasks involved in the same activity were defined according to [33] and EMBRAPA guidelines [49].…”

Sustainability and Technology: Proposals and Recommendations for the 2050 Amazon

“…Wood waste formed four groups with similar properties targeting energy systems. The firewood value index classified the residues of D. excelsa wood as the most promising for bioenergy (Lima, Castro, Baptista, & Silva, 2020).…”

“…The use of geographic information systems (GIS) in planning and management activities and modern machinery equipped with safety devices, combined with continuous theoretical and practical training for workers, were identified as crucial measures to ensure operational efficiency in the four companies evaluated. Seeking to contribute to the sustainable development of the Amazon forest, a generic model of wood extraction was performed by Lima, et al, (2020), which brings together the best practices identified in the companies studied and made it possible to obtain the best benefit with the lowest exposure of workers to the risk of accidents at work.…”