Abstract

Agricultural tractors in various types and dimensions are generally used in forest depots in Turkey for loading and stacking the forest products. In recent years, using machines for loading forest products has increased more and more due to the high productivity obtained from the machines and hardships in finding skilled workers. However, the risks accompanying these developments threaten the health of the operators working in loading machines. This study was applied on machines (145) working in loading and stacking operations in forest depots within the borders of the Western Black Sea Region. In the region, tractors on which loading equipment is mounted (85%) and original loading machines (15%) are used for loading and stacking operations. The average noise level that the operators were exposed to during the operations was above the hazard limit; for tractors without cabins on which the loading equipment is mounted, it was 93.5 dB (A) and with a noise level of 77.7 dB(A), it was below the warning limit for tractors with original cabins. In the operation, machines older than 20 years and/or machines with broken static and dynamic structures should be replaced. Instead of tractors with mounted loading equipment that are intensively used in the region and easily purchased due to their low cost, the use of original loading machines should be encouraged. In order to minimize the noise carried to the operators, the use of tractors with original cabins should be increased. While choosing places for forest depots, steeply sloped areas should be avoided, and the roughness of the ground should be reduced by covering the ground of existing depots with stabilized material.

Key words: Ergonomics, forestry, loading tractors, noise.