H. Hulusi Acar

Occupational safety and health conditions of forestry workers in Turkey

The safety and health conditions of forestry workers in Turkey were surveyed, as there are currently no statistics on these topics despite the occurrence of accidents and health problems caused by forestry work. We used a questionnaire that inquired about safety and health conditions, job satisfaction, and cumulative fatigue symptoms of forestry workers. Of the respondents, 24% experienced accidents during work, many of which consisted of cuts by chain saws or axes. Also, most respondents indicated that they did not use any personal protective equipment (PPE), although the use of PPE is strongly recommended to avoid fatal or serious accidents. With respect to job satisfaction, 43% of the respondents were dissatisfied with their job mainly because of the low salary and heavy work. Marital status, educational background and period of employment had the potential to greatly affect job satisfaction. As a result of research using the Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index (CFSI), mental, physical and social aspects of cumulative fatigue were recognized in the respondents. Furthermore, it can be concluded that job dissatisfaction negatively affected the incidence of cumulative fatigue in forestry workers, and that taking measures to enhance job satisfaction among forestry workers would improve their quality of life through lessening of cumulative fatigue. It should also be noted that ‘sustainable forestry and environmental protection’ were the greatest concerns beyond salary and insurance among the respondents.

A study on the productivity and cost of cable logging in Turkey

Tower yarders have recently been introduced to forestry in Turkey. Clarification of the productivity and cost of logging using the tower yarder is often requested because the cost for machinery is a significant factor in all calculations concerning mechanized operations. Machines are often extremely expensive compared with the low cost of labor in developing regions. In this study, a new logging system using a tower yarder was compared with a conventional system using a stationary yarder in terms of productivity and cost. The research was conducted in the northeast of Turkey, in 1989 and 1992. The productivity of the tower yarder and the stationary yarder was found to be 5.655 m3/h and 5.002 m3/h, respectively. Harvesting cost was analyzed based on observed productivity. The harvesting costs of the tower yarder and the stationary yarder were found to be 47,410 TL/m3 and 17,553 TL/m3, respectively. With the tower yarder, the machine cost reached 93.1 % of the harvesting cost while the machine cost using the stationary yarder reached 71.1%.

The investigation of approximate cost and progress payment for forest road building in Lakes Region of Turkey

Forest roads are high-cost basic facilities allowing economic, ecological and social functions of forests to be fulfilled. Because the most essential work item affecting road construction cost is excavation works, amount of excavation and land classifications have to be most appropriately determined within bidding process. In regard to application, the amount of work given in approximate cost sheet required for bidding for forest road construction is determined by means of observational methods and the bidding is conducted within the scope of Public Procurement Law No:4734 before the project is made. After the documents including approximate cost, bidding and payment for 43 forest roads built in The Lakes Region of Turkey (Isparta Regional Directorate of Forestry) during the period (2003-2008) were obtained, the project started. The amount and cost of work determined in the bidding process for the roads involved in the research have been compared with those determined in the progress payment process. Within these comparisons, a consideration has been carried out by using tables, graphics and statistical methods. After the bidding files in the scope of Public Procurement Law in force were inspected, faulting components of the current application have been determined and solutions are suggested. It has been detected that the cost and amount of excavation determined in the bidding process differ from those determined in the payment process. It has been found out that it is not sufficient to determine amount of work given in bidding sheets related to road construction only by means of observation-based field reconnaissance. Projects providing better results as a result of using modern methods which can specify structure of land depth while conducting a road construction shall be designed. For this reason, geophysical methods can be benefited from. In order to conduct effectively biddings for forest road construction, amount of excavation and its distribution to land classifications shall be most appropriately determined.

Artvin orman işletme müdürlüğünde bölmeden çıkarma araçlarının teknik açıdan incelenmesi(1993 yılı)

Artvin orman isletme mudurlugunde bolmeden cikarma araclarinin teknik acidan incelenmesi(1993 yili)