Man dies after going through woodchipper

[easy-lift guy]

Ill considered comment, it could have been his first and last mistake. A piece of snagged clothing would probably be all it took.

 

Actually what you consider an ill considered comment regrettably is business as usual:thumbdown:. Only calling a spade a spade. The sheer number of non qualified and under qualified body's to fill these positions are staggering.

You would have to live in the states to understand the mindset and cultural differences that exist currently here in the USA. NOT GOOD AND WILL IN SPITE

OF ANY CHANGES IN LAW WILL GET WORSE:thumbdown::thumbdown:.

Can't paint a pretty picture since there isn't one base in current reality.

easy-lift guy

[RC0]

We've had PTO WTC for big clearance jobs many times....but they were always fed by a machine. You would just never go near the infeed when it was running, not for nothing. There's no second chances there. I completely agree with Jomoco, solo use on that kind of machine is unthinkable.

[gensetsteve]

I would have thought a machine that size would need two people to feed it anyway so no one is idle on site. I would go as far as have several radio controlled emergency stop/reverse switches on other personnel including fitted to any diggers etc. If you are loading with a digger and see your mate go in the big red button is on the dash.

[Tom D]

We've had PTO WTC for big clearance jobs many times....but they were always fed by a machine. You would just never go near the infeed when it was running, not for nothing. There's no second chances there. I completely agree with Jomoco, solo use on that kind of machine is unthinkable.

 

So what are the safety features on these machines Reg? what does the second man do to stop it?

[GardenKit]

I would have thought a machine that size would need two people to feed it anyway so no one is idle on site. I would go as far as have several radio controlled emergency stop/reverse switches on other personnel including fitted to any diggers etc. If you are loading with a digger and see your mate go in the big red button is on the dash.

Good idea, but I wonder if I would want to stop it when the victim was half way through?

[countrryboy]

When i was working on the railways a few years ago (well prob 7 or 8) heard off a guy who lost his leg up to the knee in a tractor chipper.

He was up in the hopper pushing short sections in with his feet, the story i heard had 2 written warnings for it, never got the 3rd.

Our safety boy used to do the same too, althou after that he stopped.

 

Be a horrendous way to go thou

[Taupotreeman]

When i was working on the railways a few years ago (well prob 7 or 8) heard off a guy who lost his leg up to the knee in a tractor chipper.

 

He was up in the hopper pushing short sections in with his feet, the story i heard had 2 written warnings for it, never got the 3rd.

 

Our safety boy used to do the same too, althou after that he stopped.

 

 

 

Be a horrendous way to go thou

 

 

Had a guy here in NZ recently shoving stuff in to a 14 or 17 inch Bandit with his foot. Got his leg caught in the feed rollers and got dragged in. His off sider heard his screams and shut the unit down. Guy lost his leg. In feed tables had been removed to make digger feeding easier. Not all the last chance cables were on the machines either. The company had to go back through and retro fit feed tables etc to all its big chippers. Also worked with a guy at Asplundh who jumped up on the feed table of a chuck and duck going flat knacker and tried to kick stuff into the infeed with both feet. There's a way to feed a chipper and a way not too. People reckon the chuck and ducks are dangerous but you can actually pull a limb out of the blades. Try that when a set of feed rollers have got a hold of a limb.

Regardless, I feel for the guys family. Let's not take the gear or the job for granted eh.

 

 

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[AcaciaRental]

That's just awful, he was only 42. Are the regs in America a bit more lax than here?

 

Be careful out there when you're chipping!

[easy-lift guy]

That's just awful, he was only 42. Are the regs in America a bit more lax than here?

 

Be careful out there when you're chipping!

 

Regulations and enforcement have nothing to do with being laxed or not.

As stated before people in this business get in a hurry and accidents happen.

Poor if no communication skills between the groundies and lower level management also contribute. The macho man mentality and communication skills make accidents like this common place:thumbdown:.

I have actually seen people work harder and longer hours simply to show to their fellow workers how much better they are for the lady folk:sneaky2:

Stupid is as stupid does comes to mind. Accidents will continue to happen.

The existing cultural and communication problems I believe will never be over come. Conforming and learning a single language like English would help a great deal with solving the communication problems that have existed for the last 40 years. Alas the politicians continue to disregard the need of the existing citizens of this country and continue to cater to voting blocks thinking they will be reelected.

easy-lift guy

[gensetsteve]

There are so many machines that would benefit from a push stick. It takes to minutes to find a stick but how often do you see people taking a risk for hours on end because they are too busy to make a stick. Loose a few fingers or worse and you will be slowed down for life.