BOZP for forestry — chainsaw, timber harvesting and extraction

Forest work combines the hazards of harvesting, extraction and handling of timber in rugged and constantly changing terrain. That is precisely why it is important to assess risks systematically and manage them through the technology protocol. Below are the most common risk categories that must be covered by the risk assessment and day-to-day practice at the workplace.

Timber harvesting with a chainsaw is at the core of forestry production and, at the same time, its most hazardous activity. The basic regulation is Decree No. 46/2010 Coll., which lays down detailed requirements for ensuring safety in forestry work. Under § 3, a hand-held motor-driven chainsaw used for timber harvesting may only be operated by a person holding a valid licence card; operating a chainsaw during harvesting is, under § 16 ods. 1 písm. b) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. and its Annex No. 1a, an activity that may only be carried out on the basis of a licence card.

The most frequent causes of accidents are saw kickback, an incorrectly made directional cut and back cut, failure to keep to the escape route, and incorrect release of hung-up trees. Alongside cutting technique, protection of the operator is essential — cut-resistant trousers and footwear, a protective helmet with hearing and face protection, in accordance with Government Regulation No. 395/2006 Coll. and the STN EN 381 series of technical standards. The saw must be kept in a safe condition, with a functioning chain brake and a correctly tensioned and sharpened chain.

Decree No. 46/2010 Coll. requires forestry work to be carried out in accordance with written safety rules — the technology protocol. It sets out the working procedures, protective zones, the organisation of harvesting and extraction, and the measures for the specific workplace. Before work begins, all workers, including contractors, must be familiarised with the protocol.

• Protective zones — entry into the danger zone around the tree being felled and in the direction of fall is prohibited; concurrent felling is carried out only at a safe distance.
• Windthrown and hung-up trees are among the most dangerous situations — they are dealt with using special procedures and never improvised.
• First aid and communication — harvesting only within reach of a second person, agreed signals and available first-aid resources.
• Adverse conditions — high-risk harvesting is suspended during strong wind, storms, fog, reduced visibility and ice.

Extraction (skidding) of timber from the felling site to the landing is the second key activity in forestry production. It is carried out using forest wheeled tractors (LKT), forest cable systems, winches, or occasionally horse teams. Decree No. 46/2010 Coll. lays down safe procedures for each of these methods — tensioning and guiding cables, movement in the danger zone, and handling the load.

• Forest cable systems are, under Annex No. 1a písm. s) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., selected forestry machines (not reserved lifting technical equipment); their operation requires professional competence under Decree No. 356/2007 Coll. (group 10) and maintenance is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Motor-driven winches and hoists — lifting hoists used to lift loads are reserved technical equipment; forestry skidding winches are selected forestry machines. The distinction depends on the purpose and must be assessed.
• Danger zone of the cable — a taut cable carries a risk of snapping and whipping back; no one may enter the path of the cable or the load.
• Handling and storing timber — stacking and dismantling log piles carries a risk of logs sliding; the principles of stable stacking and a safe distance are observed.

Forestry work involves petrol and oil for chainsaws, flammable substances and machinery, so fire protection is an integral part of safety. The basic regulation is Act No. 314/2001 Coll. on fire protection. Under § 4, a legal entity and a natural person-entrepreneur are obliged to carry out preventive fire inspections, remove identified deficiencies and comply with measures at locations and in activities with an elevated risk of fire.

During periods of drought and heat, the risk of forest fires rises sharply. The tasks and establishment of a fire patrol and a fire assistance patrol, as well as the content and scope of their training, are governed by Decree of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic No. 121/2002 Coll. on fire prevention. Fire documentation, employee training on fire protection and measures for handling fuels are just as important in forestry work as the BOZP agenda itself.

• Fuels and lubricants for chainsaws (petrol, oil) are stored and used in accordance with Decree No. 38/2026 Coll., which replaced Decree No. 96/2004 Coll. from 1 April 2026; refuel only with the engine switched off and cooled down.
• Fire extinguishers must be inspected at least once every 24 months under § 9 of Decree No. 347/2022 Coll.; they must be accessible at the workplace and on machinery.
• Periods of elevated risk — during dry spells, work with an open flame is restricted and declared bans and measures are respected.
• Sanctions: for breaches of fire-protection obligations, a fine of up to 8,298 euros may be imposed under § 59 ods. 1 of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.; for more serious offences, up to 16,596 euros.

The occupational health service (PZS) provides surveillance over working conditions and the health of employees. For forestry professions, the key elements are correct categorisation of work according to health risks and preventive medical examinations in relation to work. Forestry workers are typically exposed to vibration, noise, physical load and biological factors — factors that are reflected in the classification of work into the relevant category.

Vibration-related illness (vibration disease) from work with the chainsaw, which is a recognised occupational disease, requires particular attention. If the action values for vibration under Government Regulation No. 416/2005 Coll. are exceeded, the employer must introduce measures to reduce exposure; records of measurements and health documentation are kept for 20 years. The risk of hearing impairment from noise and exposure to ticks is monitored in the same way.

The categorisation of work into categories 1 to 4 is governed by § 31 of Act No. 355/2007 Coll., with the details set out in Decree No. 448/2007 Coll. The obligation to provide an occupational health service applies from the first employee under § 30 of the same Act; preventive medical examinations in relation to work are carried out under § 30e. For forestry companies, Alpha Safety provides PZS: categorisation of work, surveillance over working conditions and coordination of medical examinations.

Alongside forestry machinery, a forestry company also operates reserved technical equipment (VTZ) in workshops, stores and maintenance facilities. Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. in § 4 classifies VTZ according to the degree of hazard into groups A, B and C, and covers pressure, lifting, electrical and gas equipment. Under § 9 and § 13, the safety condition of VTZ is checked by professional inspection and test; the scope and intervals are set out in the annexes.

• Pressure equipment — compressors and pressure vessels in the workshop; subject to professional inspections and tests under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.
• Electrical and gas equipment — wiring of workshops and stores, gas heating; checked under the VTZ regime and against standards STN 33 1600 and STN 33 1610.
• Note the distinction: forest cable systems and skidding winches are not reserved technical equipment but selected forestry machines (Annex No. 1a písm. s) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.) — operation requires a licence card, maintenance follows the manufacturer's instructions.
• Inspection technician holding a valid certificate under § 24 of Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.; VTZ inspections, records and inspection reports are a condition of safe operation.

Training is a direct precondition for carrying out work in forestry. Under § 7 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. (as amended by Act No. 114/2022 Coll. effective from 1 January 2023), repeated instruction in BOZP rules must be carried out at least once every three years, unless special regulations lay down a shorter interval. Seasonal and foreign workers must be instructed clearly and in a language they understand before starting work.

The key requirement is professional competence for operating a hand-held motor-driven chainsaw in timber harvesting — under Annex No. 11 to Decree No. 356/2007 Coll. (group 10.2), its scope is 57 hours (1 hour general part, 20 hours theory and 36 hours practice), with refresher professional training of at least 8 hours. Professional competence is also required for operating forest cable systems (group 10.1). Contracted instruction may be delivered only by a person holding an authorisation of the National Labour Inspectorate — Alpha Safety is authorised to carry out education and training.

The labour inspectorate may, under § 19 of Act No. 125/2006 Coll., impose on an employer a fine of up to 100,000 euros for breaches of BOZP regulations. If the breach resulted in an occupational accident with a fatal outcome or serious bodily harm, the fine is at least 33,000 euros. Sanctions are triggered by a missing technology protocol, operating a chainsaw without a licence card, harvesting without a second person present, OOPP not provided, and out-of-date VTZ inspection documentation.

Alpha Safety s.r.o. is an external provider of comprehensive safety services for forestry companies, logging businesses and sole traders throughout Slovakia. Instead of handling each area separately, you gain a single partner for the whole of forestry production safety — from harvesting to timber haulage.

• BOZP — external safety service (BTS), risk assessment of forestry work, drawing up the technology protocol under Decree No. 46/2010 Coll. and complete documentation.
• OPP — fire documentation, employee training on fire protection, professional training of fire patrols and measures for handling fuels.
• PZS — categorisation of work, surveillance over working conditions and coordination of preventive medical examinations, including vibration and noise risk.
• VTZ inspections — professional inspections and tests of pressure, gas and electrical equipment in workshops and stores.
• Training — operation of the chainsaw in timber harvesting, forest cable systems, load slingers, initial and refresher instruction of employees and seasonal workers.

In forestry operations, we most commonly encounter chainsaw operation without a valid licence card, a missing or purely formal technology protocol, and harvesting carried out alone without a second person present. Another typical shortcoming is worn or missing cut-resistant equipment and underestimation of vibration risk.

Inspections repeatedly reveal the same findings: unmarked and inaccessible fire extinguishers, missing health documentation on vibration and noise risk, and seasonal workers who have not been instructed. Our experience is unambiguous — companies with a functioning technology protocol, valid licence cards and regular training show a minimum of shortcomings and, above all, fewer accidents.