CA A tree trimmer dies when he is pulled into a wood chipper

[Booshcat]

NIOSH has recently released the following Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Reports:

2008CA005 CA A tree trimmer dies when he is pulled into a wood chipper
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/08CA005.html

 

[2dogs]

Thanks for posting that.

 

[tree md]

Very sad. What a way to go. Prayers to the family.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

The chipper looks like its well set up and has all the safety equipment in place. Guy had tons of experience but sounds like he got complacent. Maybe a watch strap got caught or glove? Sad.

 

[techman]

Maybe a limb was dropped on him and knocked him out?

 

[newsawtooth]

Automatic Feed Wheels

On another forum we talked about safety procedures for chippers. One poster indicated that he trained for emergency procedures. It makes sense to train people using chippers so they are conditioned to respond consistently to particular situations. May or may not have been factor in this case. If the company had difficulty locating the material presented in their safety meetings, it is likely that they they did not train thoroughly.

My chipper is an RC 12 with a maximum feed rate of 143 feet per minute. Which translates to 2.3 ft. per second or a six foot piece of person or material in under 3 seconds coupled with the power of the feed wheel, which rips limbs out of a grapple with ease. Point being that once you reach the feed wheel it is too late. I would be interested to know what the feed rate of the accident chipper was set at. A simple way to increase your margin of error is to decrease the feed rate by half or more from the maximum. It has turned potentially lethal moments for me into non-events.

I am not second guessing the deceased, just trying to make our work environment safer. I offer my sincere condolences to all involved.

Brent

 

[wavefreak]

They should make an electronic chip that goes in your gloves and a ring of sensors around the dangerous parts. When the chip goes between the sensors it shuts the thing off. Sort of like those tags in stores that prevent shoplifting.

 

[Bermie]

They should make an electronic chip that goes in your gloves and a ring of sensors around the dangerous parts. When the chip goes between the sensors it shuts the thing off. Sort of like those tags in stores that prevent shoplifting.

Now that's not a half bad idea...sort of like the 'deadman' clip on jetskis that goes around your wrist.

 

[outofmytree]

They should make an electronic chip that goes in your gloves and a ring of sensors around the dangerous parts. When the chip goes between the sensors it shuts the thing off. Sort of like those tags in stores that prevent shoplifting.

Great idea untill you take of the gloves because they are hot or to untie a knot or pick your nose!

In the heirarchy of control of hazards ppe is the last solution. A far better solution is to ensure two people operate a chipper at all times. Not one in the bucket and one on the chipper.

Do you think that 1 extra groundie is costly? Try telling this guys wife and kids that Daddy isnt coming home from work ever again. I run the company and its my pocket that the extra wages come from. My policy is simple. No one gets hurt and nothing gets broken. Oh and no one ever works alone. Is this expensive? Perhaps. But I can sleep at nights and so can my crew.

 

[techman]

Great idea untill you take of the gloves because they are hot or to untie a knot or pick your nose!

In the heirarchy of control of hazards ppe is the last solution. A far better solution is to ensure two people operate a chipper at all times. Not one in the bucket and one on the chipper.

Do you think that 1 extra groundie is costly? Try telling this guys wife and kids that Daddy isnt coming home from work ever again. I run the company and its my pocket that the extra wages come from. My policy is simple. No one gets hurt and nothing gets broken. Oh and no one ever works alone. Is this expensive? Perhaps. But I can sleep at nights and so can my crew.

Great policy, and a great way to run your company. My hat is off to you.

 

[wavefreak]

Great idea untill you take of the gloves because they are hot or to untie a knot or pick your nose!

In the heirarchy of control of hazards ppe is the last solution. A far better solution is to ensure two people operate a chipper at all times. Not one in the bucket and one on the chipper.

Do you think that 1 extra groundie is costly? Try telling this guys wife and kids that Daddy isnt coming home from work ever again. I run the company and its my pocket that the extra wages come from. My policy is simple. No one gets hurt and nothing gets broken. Oh and no one ever works alone. Is this expensive? Perhaps. But I can sleep at nights and so can my crew.

I'm not a tree guy, but safety is safety. The key to any safety practices is actually practicing the policy. Taking your gloves off because it's too hot is breaking protocol. Two ground crew running a chipper is a disaster if they like to screw around and not follow their training. But in truth, anything like a electronic chip embedded in gloves is a last defense against a mistake or a true freak accident.

And I also commend you for taking on the expense of the extra crew member. Some corners just aren't worth cutting.

 

[newsawtooth]

Safety Brochure

Most everyone already has something like this or has seen one, but this publication from Kansas State University is a good text to cite or reference in your safety plans.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/ageng2/mf2710.pdf

 

[clearance]

I have chipped thousands of loads into many chippers. Only hurt was getting whacked in the head once feeding a duck-n-chuck parked downhill, my fault. If you follow the rules, no problem. Here is the problem, I have told groundsmen never to reach in with their hands, to alway use a pushstick, always. And to let go and turn away, as soon as possible, always.

They are trained, and told, but do they obey? You can't fix stupid. Make something idiot proof, and they will make a better idiot. I know I sound cruel, but c'mon.:deadhorse:

 

[tomtrees58]

did you see { a hispanic worker} that says it all you cant teach brains tom trees

 

[tree md]

I saw that he was born in Mexico but had lived here the majority of his life. From what I gathered, he had worked for the city doing trees for 16 years so he wasn't someone fresh off the street, he was a veteran. If he had been fresh off the street and the city had put him working the chipper by himself I would say it was as much their fault as anyone's. Being that the guy had been working 16 years in the field and this happened to him just makes me think that something went horribly wrong and this was a tragic accident. Kind of gives me pause that he had been working so long at the job and this still happened to him. I've been at it 18 years or so and it makes me think that if it can happen to someone with his experience level it could certainly happen to me. A sad situation no matter what. His family will grieve over this just as ours would. I hate to hear of anyone going in that way.

 

[outofmytree]

I have chipped thousands of loads into many chippers. Only hurt was getting whacked in the head once feeding a duck-n-chuck parked downhill, my fault. If you follow the rules, no problem. Here is the problem, I have told groundsmen never to reach in with their hands, to alway use a pushstick, always. And to let go and turn away, as soon as possible, always.

They are trained, and told, but do they obey? You can't fix stupid. Make something idiot proof, and they will make a better idiot. I know I sound cruel, but c'mon.:deadhorse:

It is my theory that what you describe is the first half of a fatal chipper accident. Getting hit hard enough to either knock you out or at least to stun you. No amount of training or safety switches will save you if you are unconscious, face down on a branch being drawn into a chipper. A work buddy on the other hand can.

Once again. Don't chip solo.

 

[tree md]

I was nearly knocked out when a crooked limb pitched and hit me under the chin onetime. I was feeding from the side and there was no danger of being dragged into the chipper but I can see how that could happen to someone who has been knocked unconscious. Wouldn't surprise me if something similar happened here.

 

[outofmytree]

I was nearly knocked out when a crooked limb pitched and hit me under the chin onetime. I was feeding from the side and there was no danger of being dragged into the chipper but I can see how that could happen to someone who has been knocked unconscious. Wouldn't surprise me if something similar happened here.

Ouch. Dude I actually felt that. One of my guys fed a decent branch skinny end first which had a pretzel shaped end. I was 3 metres from the the chipper and that nasty piece of work slammed me in the ribs knocking me sideways against the house. I slid down like the wall like Danny Green had just planted a powerhouse right on me. If I had been hit that hard on the chin I would be in hospital still. Hope you recovered 100%

 

[Bermie]

I always advocate safe work practices, two on the chipper is a good practice. I don't wear gloves when feeding a chipper unless they are the snug fitting kind, (because I usually wear my wedding band) no cuffs to get snagged.
As for the chip sensor, its a theory...could have some merit, the sensor on the person could be in a velcro wrist strap, something that would pull off fairly easily if it got snagged...

 

[Ekka]

How many Irishmen does it take to feed a chipper? :monkey: