By OSHA standards, 18 is the minimum to work on a tree crew; at least that has always been my understanding.
Is that to be on the crew or just to use certain equipment (chipper, chainsaw, lift etc...?)
My understanding is that technically you can be on the crew under 18, but you really can’t do anything, no loader, saw, chipper, lift, no work in or near anything falling down - basically you can drag brush and maybe run a leaf blower, but only after everything is down, and not near any running equipment. So essentially, you can’t really work on a tree crew if you are under 18. Due to that, we won’t hire anyone under 18, they just can’t do anything. They can’t drive either, since you must be 18 to drive a commercial vehicle, even if it doesn’t require a CDL, or at least so says PA.
I grew up driving big tractors down the road at 14, because farm rules in PA said I could. I also started my first lawn service at 14, which OSHA probably would not have liked.
A wood chipper safety shield steps in when things go wrong like this
I started my tree care at age 16 bought my first chipper around age 19. I have three of them now and they are all protect with a wood chipper safety shield build and designed to help when your being pulled into a machine. Stops the infeed instantly when you breach the safety plane of the machine. I sleep a lot better knowing I am doing everything I can to provide the safest equipment for my crew.
TP chippers in Denmark has a wood chipper safety shield for your chipper. It stops the feed rollers if you get pulled past the safety plane.
I think I’ve seen something similar from bandit? Morbark maybe? Do the operators wear a “wrist watch” type device that signals crossed plane?
Morbark has that, I think they call it ChipSafe or something similar. Bandit may have something like it, but I’ve never seen it on one. You do have to wear magnets on your wrists and ankles for it to work though, so anyone not wearing those won’t trip the sensors.
The device mandates a magnet be present to start the chipping operation. As well as every time it is tripped. A county worker not to far from where I live was pulled into a chipper so far his hard hat was hitting the feed rollers. This took place with a safety watch standing with his hand on the control bar. It only takes 3/4 of a second and your at a point where things happen!!! Morbark has had these since 2014. Bandit does not have anything that I know of at this point. Two operators in 4.5 months that I have heard of both bandit machines.
Forgot to mention a WCSS will retro fit to what ever machine you have. I run bandit and morbarks they all have it.
I am guessing that you have some sort of financial stake in the company that makes or sells those devices, since all but three of the posts you have written have been promoting this device?
