In southwestern Oregon… the logging industry has shaped and sustained families here for generations. A lack of other well-paying jobs in rural parts of the state have made logging one of the most promising career paths. It also comes with grave risk. Mostly employed in densely forested pockets of the Pacific Northwest and the South, loggers have the highest rate of fatal on-the-job injuries of any civilian occupation in the nation, outpacing roofers, hunters and underground mining machine operators. About 100 of every 100,000 logging workers die from work injuries, compared with four per 100,000 for all workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “There is a mix of physical factors — heavy equipment and, of course, the massive trees,” said Marissa Baker, a professor of occupational health at the University of Washington. “Couple that with steep terrain and unforgiving weather and the rural aspect of the work, and it leads to great danger.” [to access the full story a NY Times subscription is required]