# Have not heard of a fatality in a while



## NYCHA FORESTER (May 24, 2007)

DALLAS PLANTATION — A Lucas Tree Experts employee clearing CMP power lines was killed Wednesday morning after a part of the chipper he was working on broke off and slammed him in the chest, according to police.

James Lightbody, 32, of Strong suffered massive chest trauma when a 30-pound metal lid on the chipper flew off its hinges and hit him after he opened it to dislodge some debris. He had turned the chipper off but did not wait to open the lid until the blades stopped turning, a process that can take five minutes. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a state medical examiner, said state police Trooper Scott Stevens.

An investigator from the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration was at the site Wednesday afternoon along with representatives from CMP and Lucas Tree, Stevens said.


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## Chainsaw_Sally (May 24, 2007)

He left a 10 year old son and a 9 year old daughter. 

So sad.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/3933804.html


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## alanarbor (May 25, 2007)

Absolutely terrible.

I would guess they were probably chipping nasty, viney stuff with dull blades, and a out of adjustment cutter bar, The newspaper article mentioned that the chipper had clogged earlier that day, requiring a clean out.

Totally preventable, and tragic. I wonder what training had been done around chipper maitenance and safety?


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## Chainsaw_Sally (May 25, 2007)

It's a single bladed disc chipper. Apparently the cover had some side to side play in it. When he lifted the cover, it didn't open straight and came in contact with one of the fins. That caused the cover to tear off and hit him. 

That's all I've heard.


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## JayD (May 25, 2007)

By the sounds of it a preventable terrible tragedy, and my condolences goes out to his family.

Proper training and full understanding of the idiosyncrasy's of the chipper you are operating goes a long way in preventing this type of terrible accident


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## begleytree (May 25, 2007)

TreeCo said:


> Saying that the cover had some side play in it and that is why the spinning disc hit the cover sounds like you are trying to say something was wrong with the chipper and that is not the case.
> 
> These chippers are usually plastered with warning label to not open the cover when the disc is spinning.......because it is known that the spinning disc will hit the cover.



exactly. 
I feel for the family, but this was so entirely preventable. 
-Ralph


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## Industry (May 25, 2007)

Well, I heard about this just after it happened, and it is terrible for his family indeed. what I don't understand is if he was a foreman, Why would he not know better than to open that cover before the disc stopped spinning? Hurrying to get more done?


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