To monitor regional trends and evaluate the effectiveness of logging safety training programs, it may be useful to determine an accurate TCIR for a key industry segment. For example, researchers at Virginia Tech have used Workers' Compensation Insurance (WCI) claim data since 1996 to establish the annual TCIR for mechanized (feller-buncher/grapple skidder) logging operations in the South. Using WCI claim data insures that all injuries, including minor ones that may not qualify as "OSHA Reportable," are included in the calculation. Virginia Tech's 2000 "mechanized logging" TCIR of 6.1 indicates that even with minor injuries included, this important logging industry segment is significantly safer than the nationwide logging industry average.