ODTS Poisioned from woodchips

[Robbyrasta]

I was wondering if this is a problem with dry wood chips- ie 30% moisture?

Or is mainly just green chippings?

[leafcut]

Even though our tipper has a high tipping angle at times the chip doesnt all come out at once resulting in a clamber inside the chipping bin raking and scooping. Sometimes we have left a small ammount of chip in the rear to top up later. This is when I have found that the spores withing the chip/leaves start to go powdery etc. From now on we will be wearing those cheap dust masks. After going through the nouve virus(excuse my spelling) last year I have no intention of going down with this-its dust masks from now on especially if the chip is more than 2 days old. Thanks for posting, regards...Nick Pearson, Timberline-Roe Ltd.

[aquatoo]

I was told laurel releases cyanide, hence the reason for feeling crap after working with it.

 

Never heard of ODTS before, so good to know something about it.

 

As kids we used to use crushed laurel leaves in a jar in order to gently kill butterflies. I never knew what the gas was until now. Best to be careful using the hedge trimmer on laurel, I guess.

 

I hasten to add that this was a long time ago when collecting butterflies was an accepted pastime!

[Marc Doyle Treework NZ]

Yeah! I've never herd of that, as an employer it is important to know these things, thanks for the heads up.

 

I will be more aware of that one!

[Gerbutt]

I had a small amount of chip on my truck from last week, chipped more on yesterday but when I came to tip the old stuff wouldn't come off. I had to jump in the shovel it and the pores coming off it was unreal. Last night was the worst I've had, my whole body was is agony, boiling hot but shivering uncontrollably, pounding head and no sleep at all!

 

I won't be leaving chip on again!!

[IVECOKID]

Came across this has a young lad in the Grain Stores on my Parents farm , mouldy winter Barley that we did not dry out properly

Nasty stuff .

Wheat is worst for it .

 

 

Ste

[stickstalker54]

Hi, i had a nice piece of burred oak which i decided to carve into a mushroom on Wednesday, 2 sides of the oak were covered in a very thick moss and when cutting it gave off a musky smell, after a while i had to stop working on it as i was having trouble breathing "i was wearing a mask" i ended up with the very same symptoms as Tree;Tment and was very ill that night, i was 5 minutes away from calling an ambulance as i was struggling for breathe and in severe pain, i must have then fallen asleep and new nothing until the next morning, i had slept for 9-1/2 hours, my breathing was much better and is now fine but i am still getting a lot of joint pain and still very weak, is this due to spores in the moss ???? Take care, cheers for now Pete.

[Gerbutt]

Sounds like it! It's horrible isn't it! What sort of mask were you wearing? I've got one of the ones it mentions earlier in the thread to keep in the van but I'm still going to try my hardest not to even be in the position of getting it again!

[cornish wood burner]

I was wondering if this is a problem with dry wood chips- ie 30% moisture?

Or is mainly just green chippings?

Two years on but I think this might be worth discussing. We store our biomass wood chip in a large open shed at anything from 20% to 35% MC. What we normally see is the chip heating up (even if it averages 20% to a degree )and the steam finding a way up through the chip. This causes damp patches on the surface so could be a likely growth area for mould. Not so much of a problem for us as we move it by telehandler but even then on occasions we have felt the need to wear a mask. However if your store in enclosed and you need to enter it to say clear a blockage you should be aware of a couple of dangers.

1 The mould spores could be highly concentrated in the enclosed silo area when disturbed.

2 Potentially worse would be the carbon monoxide from the decaying chip or pellets.

To reduce the risks from either, ventilate well before entering a silo, wear a good mask and ideally have a safety line with a second person at the end of it.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Two years on but I think this might be worth discussing.

 

Definitely worth it. Every time i read of someone shovelling chip out their truck I point out the dangers.

I've even had a few stroppy messages telling me to butt out!

 

Theres even a thread running right now about home made chip boxes for pickups so that the chips must be shovelled out whilst stooped under the roof!

Madness!