Hedgecutter accident

[Tom Richards]

A nice way of reducing a thorn hedge though !

[Graham]

Yes it was that type that killed the guy in the tractor. Many a telegraph pole got partly severed with those.

[Richard 1234]

And another off youtube with someone standing close by

 

 

 

 

 

 

That can't be legal with no guards can it?

Even with i think they are far too dangerous

 

 

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[PeteB]

Feel sorry for the chap's family. I doubt if the contractor believed his day's work would end do badly too. Commiserations to all the sufferer's.

[Burgess]

This could also be pretty stupidly dangerous too.

 

[ame]

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[Goaty]

Very sad.

Im always analyzing potential accidents its kind of a negative nature i have to see beyond the current situation and see long term. When we are fencing i always have better peace of mind when the old fence is removed and not left to be overgrown by a hedge. I dont like to leave a staple behind, i think of animals feet and grazers mouths.

Yet economy practices thrive. Fences are left potentially to damage humans and machines.

Selfish idiots chuck litter roadside to become shredded sharp objects and missiles when the verges are trimmed.

Then those who drive or walk along oblivous to the noise, carnage. Im astounded we dont have more flail related injurys. What other kit of this kind gets the proximity it does.

This incident is very sad for all parties. But how many folk will revise their practices?

 

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[Billhook]

Yes it was that type that killed the guy in the tractor. Many a telegraph pole got partly severed with those.

 

It clearly states that the contractor was using a flail type and not the open circular saw type.

 

It really is going to be a one in a million chance for such a thing to happen and terrible for all involved.

it is a bit like a piece of metal falling off the back of a lorry on a motorway and bouncing in such a way that it goes through a car windscreen behind and kills the driver. In both cases the victim is very very unlucky.

There are all sorts of possibilities with a flail. Sometimes the direction of rotation means debris is flung out of the front instead of the back, and perhaps a guard had been removed.

 

But you can make all the rules about checking guards and making sure no one is nearby and then the law allows the operation of those totally unguarded circular saws in the videos. The latter makes no sense to me.

Sometimes the pins that hold the flails fail, and I know of one incidence when a flail broke off on a trailed machine, came out through the metal cover and went into the tractor tyre with enough force to puncture it.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

 

But you can make all the rules about checking guards and making sure no one is nearby and then the law allows the operation of those totally unguarded circular saws in the videos. The latter makes no sense to me.

Sometimes the pins that hold the flails fail, and I know of one incidence when a flail broke off on a trailed machine, came out through the metal cover and went into the tractor tyre with enough force to puncture it.

 

Saw this and thought of suicide (or manslaughter) on a stick!

 

 

 

Flails - Potentially dangerous machines. I'd have thought an HSE investigation would have examined operating procedures, RAMS, maintenance and servicing records, age of machinery (relevant to current operating / safety design features), training and experience of the operator to name but a few...

 

The presence of complete, accurate and appropriate paperwork would be presented as mitigation, the absence of any of it would be an aggravating factor in sentencing.

 

Granted, a dreadful accident, but perhaps a useful reminder to us all to get the paper trail in order....

[oldwoodcutter]

Many years ago now I was walking along a forestry commission fence line beside a compartment.

On the other side of the fence, in the middle of a field, was a tractor cutting hay, with what was then a new type of disc mower.

A second or two after I heard something solid go through it, one of the little flat blades embedded itself into a post next to me. I always steered well clear of farm machinery after that.

I recalled the incident only the other day when I happened to be near that same compartment.

[Tom D]

It's surprising the energy flails can generate in projectiles.. i was using mine on the alpine ( cabless) and I hit an old fence, it sucked it up and wrapped it around the flail. A small piece of high tensile wire came off and hit me on the arm, it was cold and I was well wrapped up, it still stuck in my arm.