During forestry work

Danger of death in the forest: four Carinthians died in 2024

Accidents happen again and again when working in the forest. There were four fatalities in Carinthia last year. The KFV recommends better equipment and training.(Bild: LWK Burgenland/Michaela Tesch-Wessely)

The Austrian Road Safety Board warns of dangerous work in forests. Training and better equipment should be promoted. Elderly people are particularly at risk. 

Uncontrolled falling or wedged trees (24 cases), tractors tipping over in steep terrain (seven cases) or falls in rough and icy terrain (twelve cases) - according to data from the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV), these incidents led to fatal accidents during forestry work in 2024.

Carinthia was not spared either - four people lost their lives during forestry work, such as an 18-year-old who was trapped by a falling tree trunk in a forest near Frauenstein in July. However, older people are particularly at risk when working in the forest. 45 percent of victims in Austria were over 60 years old. "Many of the people involved in accidents underestimate the physical demands," says the KFV. "In addition, working alone in remote areas often makes rapid rescue difficult."

The KFV sees a need to catch up in accident prevention. "In addition to technical solutions and better protective equipment, training is important to reduce the number of accidents," explains accident specialist Johanna Trauner-Karner.