Reprinted with permission from Logger’s Voice, Fall 2025. Assistive Technology (AT) in logging may conjure up images of robots operating tools to harvesttrees. And while that may happen in the future, assistive technology today is considered supportaides for humans to better help get the job done.AT is divided up into two kinds; low technology and […]
Read more
Logger or forest worker? Stiff, painful, or uncomfortable after a long workday? Check out the “Stretches for Limber Loggers” poster. LogAbility staff worked with loggers and logging safety experts to create a stretching guide poster for workers in forestry and logging. The poster is intended to offer movement suggestions that can be done at various points […]
Read more
By Brie Weisman, OTR/L, Maine AgrAbility, Winter 2022. In logging, an eye injury can occur faster than the blink of an eye. In Maine, eye injuries rank in the top three accident-related injuries. Untreated eye injuries can go from bad to worse in very little time, potentially resulting in diminished vision or blindness. A Mechanized […]
Read more
By Brie Weisman, OTR/L, Maine AgrAbility. Winter 2024. It’s early morning. The air is cold and damp. You’re dressed for the elements, but a day of work awaits. Maybe you’re working the feller buncher, or you’re in the forwarder, or you’re in your self loader truck. You already notice the soreness in your hands, a […]
Read more
By Brie Weisman, OTR/L, Maine AgrAbility, Fall 2024. Is sitting for hours on end the “new smoking?” Some people may laugh off thequestion, but the health profession is taking this notion very seriously.Researchers at the Mayo Clinic analyzed 13 studies of sitting time and activitylevels, and found that those who sat for more than eight […]
Read more
By Brie Weisman, OTR/L, Maine AgrAbility. Spring 2024 Coordinator for Maine AgrAbility, Bella Russo, and I had the pleasure of conducting a workshop at this year’s (2024) annual PLC Spring Safety Training. We were asked to cover shoulder injuries, a common problem in the industry. For workers, a shoulder injury means pain and temporary disability […]
Read more
heavy mechanized logging equipment in wooded logging site
Read more
Morgan Becker, B.S., OT/S Johnson & Wales University Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Doctorate Have you ever been operating a joystick while working a machine and experienced pain or swelling at the base of your thumb? Maybe even coupled with a “sticking” sensation when you move your thumb and wrist? Well, those symptoms might be caused by […]
Read more
Imagine taking your loved one to the ER, and the medical doctor (MD) finally attends to you, only to find out they’ve already completed a 12-hour day, marking their 70th hour of work this week. Do you think your loved one will receive the best care? You may be concerned that the MD might miss […]
Read more
Re-printed from The Loggers Voice Summer 2022 (Part 1 of 2) by Brie Weisman, OTR/L with Maine LogAbility Improvements in logging technology are making the industry safer and more efficient. One surprising consequence of the shift from muscle to machine is the increased risk of slips, trips, and falls (STFs) in certain situations. Increasingly, mechanized […]
Read more