Chippers - Kill switch

[trees4life]

I've been told that the Ministry of Labour now requires that all equipment have a kill switch. A new chipper was delivered with the kill switch located on top of the in-feed chute. In order to reach it, you have to maneuver your hand under the reverse bar. And if your hand is located in the wrong place when you grab & push the reverse bar, it pinches your hand.

I find this type of device kind of useless, since as I understand, the intent is for button to be pressed if someone gets caught. The location of the button precludes the chance of an operator being able to reach the button if they do get caught, so you would have to hope someone is close enough to see & come to your rescue by pushing the button.

Does anyone know of any type of kill switch that is located within the in-feed chute? Benefits and drawbacks?

Thanks

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by trees4life

Does anyone know of any type of kill switch that is located within the in-feed chute? Benefits and drawbacks?

Thanks

Wouldn't the switch get tore up by the branches entering the chute?

What they'll do next is have a brake like on the lawn mowers, so you have to have one hand on the feedwheel control, or it stops.

 

[treeman82]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Some of the new chippers already have 'safety' features that practically have to be removed or disabled in order to use the machine.

I agree with you on that one Brian. The sensor by the disc on Brush Bandit chippers is a real PITA. I used to rent a Bandit all the time, and it would CONSTANTLY shut down because that sensor kept getting activated due to vibration and what not. I had to put some kind of filler matter in there so that it would keep the machine running.

 

[njarbor]

people that i work with are very careless with the chipper. they cant wait 10 seconds for you to move off to the side before you are being pushed from behind by a branch because they feel you are moving to slow , or worse the fact that even after the accidents in my are in the past month they still insist on kicking the chipper free. im glad i am in the trees cus its only a matter of time before one of these people get seriously injured

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
People who get sucked into chippers are the ones who have ignored virtually all safety training and/or instruction. If they haven't read the stickers telling them not to put body parts into the feed wheel area, then what makes you think they would read the safety stickers telling them where the kill switch was located?

That's Darwinism in action.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Re: Re: Chippers - Kill switch

Originally posted by Mike Maas
What they'll do next is have a brake like on the lawn mowers, so you have to have one hand on the feedwheel control, or it stops.

Deadmans swithc and chains to restrict acsess to the infeed schute. Like press machines in factories, the operator is manacled to the machine.

 

[Treeman14]

He meant "manacled", as in shackled to. Just a touch of lysdexia.

 

[jwiener]

The next thing to come is OSHA coming along and requiring a monthly safety meeting or training for these machines.
Many business already do some type of safety training and meeting for each specific purpose. Forklit operators, machine shops, prodcution, etc..
Its everyone responsibility to keep safe, on the ground or in the tree. If not OSHA will!!!!!!!

 

[dbeck]

I wish the company I work for would have monthly meetings on safety. Things tend to get out of hand now and then and this would be a good time to point out close calls and what could have happened and what should have been done to prevent them. I've brought this up before and I have not seen a response in two years...