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Subchapter 13. Logging and Sawmill Safety Orders
Article 12. Yarding, Swinging, and Loading

§6329. Landings and Loading Areas.

(a) Landings shall be prepared and kept reasonably clear of all debris to provide maximum safety for all employees, and shall provide ample space for the safe movement of equipment and log storage and handling.

(b) Landing chutes shall be long and even enough so that at least two-thirds of the longest bucked log to be yarded shall rest on the ground. This is not intended to restrict the yarding and loading of logs for poles, piling or an infrequent long break or tree length, provided the log is secured before unhooking the choker.

(c) Roadside or continuous landings shall be large enough to safely operate and maintain the yarding or loading equipment. Outrigger pads, tracks or wheels shall be on firm, stable ground.

(d) In logging operations where the yarder is set up in the haul road and logs are landed on the slope below the road, the following shall apply:

(1) If the landing chute slope is 20 percent or less, logs may be landed and decked in the chute provided the logs can be left in a stable position.

(2) If the landing chute exceeds 20 percent slope, decking is not permitted in the chute if a chaser is required to unhook the rigging from the logs or if employees are working below the landing chute and are exposed to rolling or sliding logs.

(3) If logs are to be decked below the road, the logs shall be effectively secured from rolling or sliding down the hill or no employees shall work below the deck.

(e) Space for truck turn-around shall be provided as close as possible to the landing.

(f) Where necessary, sufficient brow logs or blocking shall be installed to prevent logs from rolling onto the landing.

(g) All personnel shall stand clear of the hazardous area while logs are being hoisted, or while logs or loads are being shifted on trucks. The hazardous area is the area between the deck or decks from which the logs are being removed and the area over which the logs are carried to place them on the log truck, as well as along both sides of log trucks behind the cab guard.

(h) Logs shall not be swung over employees, tractors, or truck cabs while employees are in the cabs.

(i) Logs shall be loaded so that the load is balanced as near as possible over the center plates of the trucks.

(j) Logs shall be loaded to minimize any crowding which causes excessive strain on the wrappers, choke chains, or stakes.

(k) Logs shall be loaded so that there are no projecting large knots or limbs to impair side clearance.

(l) When operating in landing areas, loading machines used to sort and deck logs and/or load log trucks shall be equipped with an automatically operating warning device which will activate any time the loading machine is traveling in a direction opposite to that which the operator faces.

NOTE

Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

HISTORY

1. Amendment filed 2-6-85; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 85, No. 6).

2. New subsection (m) filed 7-6-93; operative 8-5-93 (Register 93, No. 28).

3. Amendment of subsections (e) and (g), repealer of subsection (i), subsection relettering, and amendment of newly designated subsections (i) and (l) filed 10-24-01; operative 11-23-01 (Register 2001, No. 43).

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