IUFRO Headquarters 28d ago

Part of the Webinar Series: "Sustainable Forestry Operations for the Bioeconomy" The webinar on 20 May 2026 was titled "Forest Work Safety and Human Factors" and presented an overview of the current state of mechanized forest operations in Finland, with particular emphasis on occupational safety, ergonomics, operator well-being, and emerging technological support systems. It was kindly hosted by Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand, attracted 86 participants from 21 countries, and involved Division 3 - Forest Operations Engineering and Management and Research Group 3.03.00 - Forest ergonomics. The webinar presenter was Heli Kymäläinen, a University Lecturer at the School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), whose research centers on cut-to-length timber (CTL) harvesting, with a strong emphasis on the work safety, well-being, and productivity of forest machine operators. She introduced Finland as one of the world's leading countries in CTL forest harvesting, where the forest sector contributes substantially to the national economy and where mechanization has become central to operational efficiency and safety.