Man dies after going through woodchipper

[Tom D]

RIP Poor guy.

 

If the stop bar and safety systems are working properly I can't understand how this could happen. The one on my TP250 is well sensitive, as are the ones on our smaller chippers. You have to wonder if the machine was in good working order.

 

I certainly wouldn't want to be a stain on the chip pile for the sake of a bit or grease...

[easy-lift guy]

Oh yeah, and it's the dirtiest little industry secret Peter and the good ole boys have.

 

Yu see, as long as the chipper mfr can claim whoever was feeding their chipper was not following safe operating procedures? Then their liability is limited.

 

Care to guess how much ad revenue TCIA rakes in each month from Morbark, Vermeer etc?

 

To this day, Peter insists that solo operation of a WTC is just fine and dandy by him and TCIA.

 

Climbers workin solo performing dangerous tasks? Oh no, they'll write rules against that! Create aerial rescue events and practice them assiduously to keep the precious mistake prone climber as safe as possible on the job!

 

But groundies feedin WTC's solo?

 

Most embarrassing aspect of this biz IMO.

 

Industry sanctioned death on the job for mistake prone groundies.

 

Jomoco

 

Just curious if mistake prone groundies have any business using such equipment in the first place?. Maybe the mistake prone groundie should find another occupation?. I do feel bad about anyone being killed in this or any other industry.

That said if the person that died was improperly feeding material past the stop bar in front of the chipper that can explain how he fed himself into the chipper if he went in head first. Another way would be by having material fed into the chipper and vines becoming tangled around ones legs or feet.

People get into a hurry and forget simple safety procedures for the sake of finishing a job sooner. Common sence really makes no difference when you don't have any in the first place.

easy-lift guy

[Cov Climber]

Sad times! My thoughts are with his family.

[jomoco]

I've been at this for 40 years now.

 

Never heard of anyone being chipped alive completely till hydraulically fed WTC's hit the market here in the early 90's.

 

But after 96 or so, my crews ran BC1800's almost exclusively on my removal crew. That's all we did, removals, mostly with a crane. Had I not had my own strict two man minimum rule for feeding those 1800's? 4 men would have been chipped alive on the job, on my crew.

 

This BS TCIA spouts about a second man not being able to act quick enough to save a trapped disabled operator is pure tripe. Almost every WTC has an auto feed function.

Yet TCIA scurries off to a campus professor, whose students solemnly pronounce that a second operator makes little difference cuz it all happens so fast!

 

Pure malarkey, as anyone who's ever fed WTC's knows for a fact. Were it not for that strict Two man minimum rule on my crews? You could add another 4 hardworking but mistake prone groundies to the WTC fatality list that keeps right on growing higher each passing year.

 

I have high hopes that the UK will not allow such nonsense to go unaddressed by their safety authorities in the manner the US has.

 

Gerstenberger needs to be fired for gross negligence, in that he refuses to adopt the number one OSHA recommendation to help prevent these god awful deaths on the job.

 

Jomoco

[ArthurBottlesworth]

Have seen a lot of accidents

Sometimes you can't work out how they happen

Sometimes you can't work out how they survive

 

Had guy with overalls caught on unguarded pto threw him acoss the yard and left him bollock naked but unharmed.....

 

Asked traffic cop what was strangest accident he'd seen , e type jag sticking out of bedroom window of terraced house, on long straight row of terraces - explain that

[Tom D]

I've been at this for 40 years now.

 

Never heard of anyone being chipped alive completely till hydraulically fed WTC's hit the market here in the early 90's.

 

But after 96 or so, my crews ran BC1800's almost exclusively on my removal crew. That's all we did, removals, mostly with a crane. Had I not had my own strict two man minimum rule for feeding those 1800's? 4 men would have been chipped alive on the job, on my crew.

 

This BS TCIA spouts about a second man not being able to act quick enough to save a trapped disabled operator is pure tripe. Almost every WTC has an auto feed function.

Yet TCIA scurries off to a campus professor, whose students solemnly pronounce that a second operator makes little difference cuz it all happens so fast!

 

Pure malarkey, as anyone who's ever fed WTC's knows for a fact. Were it not for that strict Two man minimum rule on my crews? You could add another 4 hardworking but mistake prone groundies to the WTC fatality list that keeps right on growing higher each passing year.

 

I have high hopes that the UK will not allow such nonsense to go unaddressed by their safety authorities in the manner the US has.

 

Gerstenberger needs to be fired for gross negligence, in that he refuses to adopt the number one OSHA recommendation to help prevent these god awful deaths on the job.

 

Jomoco

 

 

So 4 times guys were pulled in to the feed hopper without hitting the stop bar?

[difflock]

Just curious if mistake prone groundies have any business using such equipment in the first place?. Maybe the mistake prone groundie should find another occupation?. I do feel bad about anyone being killed in this or any other industry.

That said if the person that died was improperly feeding material past the stop bar in front of the chipper that can explain how he fed himself into the chipper if he went in head first. Another way would be by having material fed into the chipper and vines becoming tangled around ones legs or feet.

People get into a hurry and forget simple safety procedures for the sake of finishing a job sooner. Common sence really makes no difference when you don't have any in the first place.

easy-lift guy

 

Absolutely seconded.

Not to disparage the unfortunate deceased.

but

as per the BC Logger on Ax Men.

sometimes

"one simply cannot fix stupid"

marcus

[Steve Bullman]

I've been at this for 40 years now.

 

Never heard of anyone being chipped alive completely till hydraulically fed WTC's hit the market here in the early 90's.

 

But after 96 or so, my crews ran BC1800's almost exclusively on my removal crew. That's all we did, removals, mostly with a crane. Had I not had my own strict two man minimum rule for feeding those 1800's? 4 men would have been chipped alive on the job, on my crew.

 

This BS TCIA spouts about a second man not being able to act quick enough to save a trapped disabled operator is pure tripe. Almost every WTC has an auto feed function.

Yet TCIA scurries off to a campus professor, whose students solemnly pronounce that a second operator makes little difference cuz it all happens so fast!

 

Pure malarkey, as anyone who's ever fed WTC's knows for a fact. Were it not for that strict Two man minimum rule on my crews? You could add another 4 hardworking but mistake prone groundies to the WTC fatality list that keeps right on growing higher each passing year.

 

I have high hopes that the UK will not allow such nonsense to go unaddressed by their safety authorities in the manner the US has.

 

Gerstenberger needs to be fired for gross negligence, in that he refuses to adopt the number one OSHA recommendation to help prevent these god awful deaths on the job.

 

Jomoco

 

 

Its one thing bringing in legislation demanding 2 people feed the chipper(and for the record I agree in the case of whole tree chippers), but how would they possibly police it?

[difflock]

Steve,

to be really pedantic, your post title should have been.

"Man dies going through woodchipper."

[treequip]

I've been at this for 40 years now.

 

Never heard of anyone being chipped alive completely till hydraulically fed WTC's hit the market here in the early 90's.

 

But after 96 or so, my crews ran BC1800's almost exclusively on my removal crew. That's all we did, removals, mostly with a crane. Had I not had my own strict two man minimum rule for feeding those 1800's? 4 men would have been chipped alive on the job, on my crew.

 

This BS TCIA spouts about a second man not being able to act quick enough to save a trapped disabled operator is pure tripe. Almost every WTC has an auto feed function.

Yet TCIA scurries off to a campus professor, whose students solemnly pronounce that a second operator makes little difference cuz it all happens so fast!

 

Pure malarkey, as anyone who's ever fed WTC's knows for a fact. Were it not for that strict Two man minimum rule on my crews? You could add another 4 hardworking but mistake prone groundies to the WTC fatality list that keeps right on growing higher each passing year.

 

I have high hopes that the UK will not allow such nonsense to go unaddressed by their safety authorities in the manner the US has.

 

Gerstenberger needs to be fired for gross negligence, in that he refuses to adopt the number one OSHA recommendation to help prevent these god awful deaths on the job.

 

Jomoco

 

You are preaching to an empty house mate. In the UK the HSE dealt with the chipper safety thing over a decade ago when operator in feed protection was reviewed and machines retro fitted.

 

There is also a qualification for chipper operators

 

The main safety area though is we simply don't have much in the way of huge chippers, a TW125 will give you a manicure you will never forget but it cant eat you.