This Notch Makes Tree Cutting Safe For Loggers

Cutting down trees is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Specifically, logging has been declared as America’s most dangerous profession. In fact, logging has more fatal work injuries po 100,000 workers than the U.S.military!

Falling trees account for the vast majority of logging deaths. In a 2003 study, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health examined 780 logging deaths between 1992-2000, and found that only 15.6% of fatalities were the result of machinery. The remainder -- a whopping 84.4% -- were due to falling trees or rolling logs.

Those who live off this job have been developing techniques to make sure that the log falls away from them and their well-being. Most of the time they’ve been using notches - a shallow cut near the foot of the tree that will weaken that spot and make it easier to brake.

But notches as we have seen them in cartoons aren’t safe or reliable. When done properly, a notch can help a professional to direct and control the fall of the tree accurately and safely, according to the Tree Services magazine.

The type of notch the logger will use depends on the tree, but they all serve the same purpose. As we can see from the video, this particular notch helps the logger pull the remainder of the log down with the help of a rope. The log has not been cut down completely, but rather broken off at the end.