Am I the only person who thinks this could have been avoided?

[Gologit]

Gologit, you sure as heck dont strike me as a lazy guy that would shirk away from work, surely someone in your life taught you how to work, right?

Sure, I learned to work at an early age. I started out packing gear for my uncle who was cutting old growth Redwood. I was thirteen. He, and a lot of the other loggers, taught me how to work.

But they also taught me how to be safe and they went out of their way to make sure I didn't get hurt. Those old timers, as rough and unschooled as they were, made damn sure I didn't get myself into a situation that could hurt me. They showed me how to be safe and they weren't shy about letting me know when I was doing something stupid. Looking back on it I can see where there were times when production suffered because they took time out to show me the hazards involved in what we were doing and to make sure I was in the clear. But...that was their end of the deal. Mine was listening and learning and doing what I was told.

If we take our kids to work with us, no matter what we do for a living, we're exposing them to risk. As a parent we have the absolute duty to our children to minimize that risk. Letting a six year old anywhere near a chipper without being right there beside him doesn't meet the definition of minimizing risk.

I'm not without compassion for the Dad. There is nothing that compares with the pain of losing a child. Nothing. He'll suffer for the rest of his life. And, from his irresponsibility, he's causing the suffering of everyone who knew or loved that little boy. That's a heavy load.

Had he been more attentive or more careful and realized that bad things happen he wouldn't be in the fix he's in now.

His responsibility, his fault entirely. It could have been avoided.

 

[Iska3]

When I read these comments and living on a farm, I have mixed feelings. Kids can be kids and things happen so my heart goes out to the parents for their loss. But!! As many say, a 6 year old has no place around a chipper or most machines. It wasn’t that long ago when we cleared out the underbrush in a grove for my boss and a friend came over with his chipper so being a friend, we were going to help him. Wrong!! We could bring the branches to the side of the chipper and stack them but we were not allowed to load them in to the chipper. What I thought was odd is this guy wouldn’t even start the chipper until his co-worker was there. Like he said, one person has to be by the safety bar while the other loads. Being that we were not experienced, our actions could cost us our lives and most of all his.. His other concern was that we did not have ear plugs and safety glasses… It wasn’t long after when someone posted how a teen son was caught up in his dad’s chipper so this seems to be common when we take something like this for granted.

Like every other dad, my son worked with me all the time but there were some times he could not be next to me when I was doing them. When I would cut down a tree, I had ear plugs. Safety glasses etc. so as a little one my son had to go and sit on the big rock and wait until dad was done. When I was in the shop and had to weld something, I had on a shield to protect my eyes and he knew that so my son had to leave the area… I now work with my grandkids and they learn safety first.. A parent’s biggest fear is that some day our kids will come home in a box. My parents did their best to teach me right from wrong. They taught me good work ethics and in doing so they taught me the safe way of doing things. I’m here today because my parents watched out for my well being.

When I first read this post, like many I felt bad for the father and my heart goes out to them for their loss… Then I had to ask myself this question. What if I had a 6 yr old son who was over playing with this little friend and they ended up helping the father. What if it was my son was the one who got caught in the chipper.

Would I let my kids and or their little friends be around a chipper and help load it…… NO!!

Would you?

Every now and then we get a wake up call… This parents loss is a good lesson for all of us..

 

[Whitespider]

slowp,
Your above post is a fine example of what I’m talking about. So you could run the tractor?

Almost every year out here in farm country a child is run over by a tractor, either killed or crippled, often because they get bounced off it, or because another child was driving it and couldn’t react fast enough… even though the parent was supervising. Most “city dwellers” think the parent should be blamed for the “accident”, they think only a licensed driver (age 16) should be allowed to drive a tractor… and no child under that age should even be riding on one no matter who’s driving. Yet you’ll see kids running, and riding on, all sorts of farm machinery, especially during planting and harvesting seasons… Some farming parents won’t let any child close to machinery; some place an age limit, some younger than others… it’s their decision, it belongs to no one else.

Life is dangerous… it ends in termination… **** happens… and it don’t matter what the age… it-is-what-it-is.

 

[Dalmatian90]

He was doing work at his own house correct? Not out on a job.

No.

Same neighborhood, different house.

School vacation week, sounds like he brought his kids to work with him.

I have no problem with teaching kids skills that are appropriate to their age physically and mentally. There is not a single six year old on the planet who should be around a running wood chipper on either account.

Iska above laid out a very simple way to safely work around them, with someone standing by at the emergency stop, if you're working with inexperienced folks...and even then you don't allow a six year old around. There are other things you can be doing to keep the kids busy if you must, like having them stack brush for you to deal with later when your attention won't be divided.

I've done the presumption on a fellow in his 20s who was killed in a legitimate accident by a corn chopper. He bent over to pickup an oil can while servicing the machine, and he lifted his leg to the rear for balance and his foot got caught by the belts and in he went. #### happens.

But having young kids around running wood chippers is like playing Russian roulette.

 

[Whitespider]

Would I let my kids and or their little friends be around a chipper and help load it…… NO!!

There's that judgment thing again. The news story does not say the father let his kid help load the chipper, nor does it say how close the father allowed the kid to be to it. For all we know the father had told the kid to stay in the truck, or sit on the ice chest, or stay under the tree, or whatever.

What the news story only says is...

The youngest child attempted to assist his father, the father's back was turned...

Sorry guys, but you don't know any more than that. And anybody who tells me they've never had their back turned for a brief moment to a child when busy working... I'll call them a flat-faced liar!

 

[powerking]

May God be with this family during this difficult time. God does forgive people. Losing a child has to be a very difficult thing to go through. I will not speculate on this story, as we all know, the media can't get a simple story straight, so I'm sure there is more than one version of the story out there! I will pray for his family

 

[IHDiesel73L]

The only opinion that I have on this is that it's a perfect illustration of why the comments sections of online news services should be done away with. Not only does the family have to deal with a tragedy blasted all over the news, they also get to see the comments of people who have nothing better to do than pick apart and Monday morning quarterback something that doesn't affect them and that they really know nothing about. All this has done on that newspaper's website (and on this forum) is created a pissing match between two groups: the "I'm-a-better-parent-than-you-because-I-keep-my-kids-in-a-plastic-bubble" group, and the "I'm-a-better-parent-than-you-because-I-let-my-kids-do-things-that-would-give-OSHA-a-heart-attack-group." It's not even about the kid that died, it's about people making themselves feel good by getting on their damn soapbox and arguing about how their method of parenting is superior. [/rant]

 

[blackdogon57]

A six year old shouldn't be on a job site of any kind. I do skid steer work for local pool company. There is no safe way to operate equipment with kids present. I often shut down my machine and get kids and adults to move to a safer location. I feel bad for the family but this accident should never have happened. I am sure the father would be charged if this happened in Ontario.

 

[StihlyinEly]

Passing judgement on someone because of an accident, when I wasn't there and can't possibly know all the circumstances, isn't something I'm willing to do.

Me either. The only Judge who matters lives upstairs. I live down here. It's that simple.

The only opinion that I have on this is that it's a perfect illustration of why the comments sections of online news services should be done away with. Not only does the family have to deal with a tragedy blasted all over the news, they also get to see the comments of people who have nothing better to do than pick apart and Monday morning quarterback something that doesn't affect them and that they really know nothing about. It's not even about the kid that died, it's about people making themselves feel good by getting on their damn soapbox and arguing about how their method of parenting is superior.

Agreed. Thoughts and prayers going out to the family. They have to be suffering bad right now.

 

[Whitespider]

Hmmm…. My point was that one parent’s way is not necessarily “superior” to another parent’s… but it is an individual choice that shouldn’t criticized just because you personally disagree, especially given the total lack of information in this case.

...I am sure the father would be charged if this happened in Ontario.

How in the hell can you say that without any more information of the facts than what you have? Which is zero information, by-the-way!

 

[StihlyinEly]

For 15 years as a reporter and editor, I covered this kind of story for a variety of newspapers. I can tell you that the court of public opinion tends to try and convict (and often punish) people long before all the facts are made public. Plenty of people seem to need a tragedy in someone else's life so they can sound off their own trumpets of judgment -- thus making themselves feel better.

Not calling out any individuals posting on this thread. Just the way I look at it after covering way too much crime, murder and mayhem.

 

[MacLaren]

Anyone that dosent agree with Bob should have thier head examined.
A child around a damn woidchipper!!
R U Kidding? Seriously???

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[Miles86]

I am surprised every day a child doesn't get run over by a car in my neighborhood, as the local parents here just are clueless. I'm not talking about teenagers, but little kids that are not aware of the dangers around them.

Today's society is filled with ignorant adults that are stupid azz themselves so they are incapable of teaching their kids anything useful or important for their own survival.

This stuff is going to happen more frequently as people become farther from the land and the physical world.

May the child R.I.P.

 

[Dalmatian90]

There's that judgment thing again. The news story does not say the father let his kid help load the chipper, nor does it say how close the father allowed the kid to be to it. For all we know the father had told the kid to stay in the truck, or sit on the ice chest, or stay under the tree, or whatever.

What the news story only says is...



Sorry guys, but you don't know any more than that. And anybody who tells me they've never had their back turned for a brief moment to a child when busy working... I'll call them a flat-faced liar!

There's no judgement here.

If the father let the six year old on a jobsite with the woodchipper turned on...he had a lack of judgement. Period.

Telling a six year old to sit under a tree simply isn't good enough when you know your attention will routinely be distracted by the basics of the work you're doing.

It might even be fine to sit him in the cab of the truck for a few minutes while doing a simple tree felling, positioned where you can watch to make sure he his obeying while you do the cutting. For most trees, once it's down on the ground you may still risk limb, but it's no longer going to cause life threatening injuries if the kid wanders too close while you're limbing and bucking.

But that's a whole different ball game from having them around a woodchipper which is running autonomously.

Since this occured in the neighborhood, perhaps the kid was supposed to be home and he snuck out from whoever was supposed to be watching him at home. Six year olds can do that. That's a whole 'nother situation where the father wouldn't (justifiably) been expecting the kid to be around. But there's been no reports that was the situation either so I doubt that's the case.

 

[KenJax Tree]

There's no judgement here.

If the father let the six year old on a jobsite with the woodchipper turned on...he had a lack of judgement. Period.

Telling a six year old to sit under a tree simply isn't good enough when you know your attention will routinely be distracted by the basics of the work you're doing.

It might even be fine to sit him in the cab of the truck for a few minutes while doing a simple tree felling, positioned where you can watch to make sure he his obeying while you do the cutting. For most trees, once it's down on the ground you may still risk limb, but it's no longer going to cause life threatening injuries if the kid wanders too close while you're limbing and bucking.

But that's a whole different ball game from having them around a woodchipper which is running autonomously.

Since this occured in the neighborhood, perhaps the kid was supposed to be home and he snuck out from whoever was supposed to be watching him at home. Six year olds can do that. That's a whole 'nother situation where the father wouldn't (justifiably) been expecting the kid to be around. But there's been no reports that was the situation either so I doubt that's the case.

He didn't sneak out the dad took him and his 2 other kids on the job with him so his siblings saw him get sucked into the chipper.

 

[Fred Wright]

For what it's worth, I agree that beating up the kid's father isn't gonna change anything. It won't bring his boy back. He'll have to live with it the rest of his life. That should be punishment enough.

Of course it could have been avoided. Most accidents can be avoided by thinking before we act and staying focused. I'm sure that father won't let kids near a running chipper ever again. Heck, he may not go near a chipper for a long time.

Mechanized agriculture is by far the most dangerous occupation in the world. Too many people are out there, working as lone wolves with no one to help or call for help. In many cases, they depend on their kids. Not adviseable but there's the culture for you.

I'm gonna presume that most of us who do this type of work didn't grow up in a bubble. Somewhere along the road we were exposed to dangerous situations. We saw things go wrong, we got injured. That's how we learn to be careful.

 

[Iska3]

Like I said, Every now and then we get a wake up call… My heart goes out to the family. This parents loss is a good lesson for all of us.. Even if the parent didn’t bring his son to work, it could have been some little kid next door or it could have been a person like me who was willing to give him a helping hand. As the operator, he can not turn his back on something like a chipper but I'm sure many have more than once. Granted it happens but it shouldn’t. We can say that we would do this or that but we were not there. That poor guy will suffer a pain that no man should have to endure.

A few months ago we had a bad storm and my friend was in town with his chipper. He had cones set up all around so people could not go inside the work area. Being his friend, I went over to talk to him. Once again, he made me stand outside of the cones until he was done. Like he said, my distractions could cost him his life.

It’s not just the chipper, tractor or the swimming pool. Years ago my cousin hauled gravel in a big dump truck. Most days he would come home for a quick lunch and park the truck along the road. This day he parked in the driveway. While he was inside eating, their 3 yr old went outside to see daddy’s big truck. Dad comes outside, backs down the hill and his 3 yr old (who was suppose to be in the house) was behind the truck on his little bike. Years later, I got married and we had little kids; I never forgot my cousin loss. Every day I would come home for lunch and I always walked around the car before backing out. One day I didn’t and backed over a wagon that belonged to the little kid down the hall. I was lucky. This little kid left the wagon behind my car and went back inside.

It’s sad that someone’s loss has to be wake up call for the rest of us.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Like I said, Every now and then we get a wake up call… My heart goes out to the family. This parents loss is a good lesson for all of us.. Even if the parent didn’t bring his son to work, it could have been some little kid next door or it could have been a person like me who was willing to give him a helping hand. As the operator, he can not turn his back on something like a chipper but I'm sure many have more than once. Granted it happens but it shouldn’t. We can say that we would do this or that but we were not there. That poor guy will suffer a pain that no man should have to endure.

A few months ago we had a bad storm and my friend was in town with his chipper. He had cones set up all around so people could not go inside the work area. Being his friend, I went over to talk to him. Once again, he made me stand outside of the cones until he was done. Like he said, my distractions could cost him his life.

It’s not just the chipper, tractor or the swimming pool. Years ago my cousin hauled gravel in a big dump truck. Most days he would come home for a quick lunch and park the truck along the road. This day he parked in the driveway. While he was inside eating, their 3 yr old went outside to see daddy’s big truck. Dad comes outside, backs down the hill and his 3 yr old (who was suppose to be in the house) was behind the truck on his little bike. Years later, I got married and we had little kids; I never forgot my cousin loss. Every day I would come home for lunch and I always walked around the car before backing out. One day I didn’t and backed over a wagon that belonged to the little kid down the hall. I was lucky. This little kid left the wagon behind my car and went back inside.

It’s sad that someone’s loss has to be wake up call for the rest of us.

But yet some are still nieve and have the "it won't happen to me attitude"

 

[Danxtro]

Very,very sad news!! It remind me a story that happen last summer in Outaouais area in PQ.

Boy, 7, dies in hospital after being crushed by tree stump in La Peche, Quebec | Lowdown Online

 

[blackdogon57]

Hmmm…. My point was that one parent’s way is not necessarily “superior” to another parent’s… but it is an individual choice that shouldn’t criticized just because you personally disagree, especially given the total lack of information in this case.



How in the hell can you say that without any more information of the facts than what you have? Which is zero information, by-the-way!

Very simple - Any responsible adult wouldn't allow a child to be on a job site - PERIOD.