Rope v chipper

[blazer]

Reading through the posts, I think it comes down to team training for all users to be aware. There are always 'points' to look out for make this one of them - good subject.

 

Not sure about jamming up a chipper with a rope the prob , if it only shows a cut rope, there is a risk this will be seen as the outcome - whereas the image of a mate being fed in should trigger 'the horror switch in everybody brain'.

 

Yrs ago I remember in an factory the old foreman wanted to test out a 100yd long run out table. He wrapped a rope around his arm connected to the overheard puller. He asked for the power to be set low to test the pull, when he started to wave his arms the operator thought he wanted it wound up - yep he flew from one end of the run out to the other - not hurt too much.

[Spoonz]

i wonder if there could ever be an instance where the chipper would feed itself up the tree

[Taupotreeman]

Taupotreeman, naturally anything that helps save a life or injury is a good thing.

 

My point is, if he wants to produce a shock video to warn of the dangers of something happening, let him provide all the bits that are going to feature in that video instead of expecting you to do it with your gear. Thats whats daft to me.

 

It's not my gear it's Taupo Distrcit Council's gear and he's the TDC H&S officer wouldn't let him within cooeee of my personal gear. He ran it past my boss who also thought it a good idea ( I think he could see his name up in flashing lights recieving the NZ H&S innovation for 2011) until I got the feedback from this thread. Needless to say, as I already have, the idea was immediately canned when it was realised that our $60K chipper could be reduced to a rather expensive pile of bits I think the whole idea was a good one, after all, the pictures and video I saw when I first started out in line clearance have remained with me to this day. Seeing a man video his own gradual death over a period of a couple of weeks (after a 13KV shock) would, I imagine, remain with anyone. We aimed to do the tests and write a report while filming the whole thing so it could be used nation wide in a training video. We'll just have to rely on our imaginations for now.

[blazer]

It's not my gear it's Taupo Distrcit Council's gear and he's the TDC H&S officer wouldn't let him within cooeee of my personal gear. He ran it past my boss who also thought it a good idea ( I think he could see his name up in flashing lights recieving the NZ H&S innovation for 2011) until I got the feedback from this thread. Needless to say, as I already have, the idea was immediately canned when it was realised that our $60K chipper could be reduced to a rather expensive pile of bits I think the whole idea was a good one, after all, the pictures and video I saw when I first started out in line clearance have remained with me to this day. Seeing a man video his own gradual death over a period of a couple of weeks (after a 13KV shock) would, I imagine, remain with anyone. We aimed to do the tests and write a report while filming the whole thing so it could be used nation wide in a training video. We'll just have to rely on our imaginations for now.

 

How about using some 'skillful editing' - big drama build up, rope being pulled but not in chipper, guy in panic and rope in static chipper with engine loading sound. Remember the best horror films where you had to imagine what happened - just put it together in sequence but no rope being fed into chipper - maybe a few static shots of other accidents? Must be a local film guy who could help you out.

 

It was stories passed onto me that helped build up long term safety

[Mike Hill]

I had my rope fed into a Chipper.

 

I was reducing a London Plane that was too high for me to decend in one go.I came down to nearly the end of my Rope,re anchored and down I went.

 

The groundie picked up the rope in some branches and fed it into a Vermeer 625.My Rope went suddenly taught and began to jump towards the end of the Branch I was tied into.My Prusic Jambed and I was pulled away from the Trunk about 20foot before the Chipper Stalled.I was climbing on Three Strand and it had reduced in diameter by about half.

 

All this happened in a Flash.

 

Another mate got his Rope fed into a 12" Bandit,it nearly dislocated his knee as the Rope whipped around his leg.He was Rope Burned to hell.

 

The groundies stopped the infeed before he could be injured further.

[Taupotreeman]

I had my rope fed into a Chipper.

 

I was reducing a London Plane that was too high for me to decend in one go.I came down to nearly the end of my Rope,re anchored and down I went.

 

The groundie picked up the rope in some branches and fed it into a Vermeer 625.My Rope went suddenly taught and began to jump towards the end of the Branch I was tied into.My Prusic Jambed and I was pulled away from the Trunk about 20foot before the Chipper Stalled.I was climbing on Three Strand and it had reduced in diameter by about half.

 

All this happened in a Flash.

 

Another mate got his Rope fed into a 12" Bandit,it nearly dislocated his knee as the Rope whipped around his leg.He was Rope Burned to hell.

 

The groundies stopped the infeed before he could be injured further.

 

 

Yep and that's exactly the kind of thing that had me worried and posting the thread. This job is dangerous enough without some dopey dumb ass groundy not watching what he is doing. Sounds harsh until you think of the consequences.

[Mike Hill]

Yep and that's exactly the kind of thing that had me worried and posting the thread. This job is dangerous enough without some dopey dumb ass groundy not watching what he is doing. Sounds harsh until you think of the consequences.

 

Having the Chipper close to the Tree certainly speeds things up.But it also increases the likely hood of a Rope being fed into the Machine.

 

The new Trend with Green/Brown,Camo coloured Ropes is folly in my opinion.Ropes should be hi-viz.

[Mike Hill]

Cheers for the heads up treequip. I'm more interested in seeing if it is possible for a rope to wrap itself around the drum or disc of a chipper and to see the effect that has on a climber if still attached to the rope, how much time they would have to free themselves should something like this happen and where the weak point is i.e. rope, climber or chipper.

 

You can calculate how fast the rope would be pulled in.If you measure the diameter of the Drum and find out the RPM it rotates at.

 

I think the rope would be wound around the shaft that goes through the drum,rather than the Drum itself.

[Taupotreeman]

Having the Chipper close to the Tree certainly speeds things up.But it also increases the likely hood of a Rope being fed into the Machine.

 

The new Trend with Green/Brown,Camo coloured Ropes is folly in my opinion.Ropes should be hi-viz.

 

Funny you should mention that. Had the tail of my Tachyon rope at the bottom of the tree today lying on top of the brash. Couldn't see it at all from up the tree. Fortunately my bobcat driver has a brain as did the other climber who pointed it out to him. Said bobcat driver waited until I was out of the tree before operating around the base.

[monkeybusiness]

Man decapitated in wood chipper accident, coroner says | Reuters

 

Dunno if it has been posted elsewhere, and not 100% clear if the rope went into the chipper or was being pulled by a winch, but terribly sad whatever the circumstances. I thought it had a relevance to this post though.