Re: Worker pulled into wood
From the March edition of TCI Magazine:
http://www.treecareindustry.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_Mar_09.pdf
An ongoing research project on tree worker safety being conducted by South Dakota State University (SDSU) indicatets hat chipper fatalities are occurring sometimes as often as twice a month, as opposed to the oft-cited statistic of less than three a year.
To contrast the South Dakota State University data with the AMA/CDC/BLS statistics: five tree workers were killed in separate accidents involving chippers during a nine week period at the end of 2008.
One was killed reaching in to clear a jam. In another, the worker was pulled in while grabbing a branch that was stuck in the running machine. The third and fourth workers were pulled in feet-first while clearing jams. The fifth was clearing branches from a chipper that had been propped up on blocks, crushing him to death when it fell.
These accidents underscore two major concerns. First, the BLS under-reporting creates an unrealistically rosy view of the workplace and a false sense of security. If tree workers believe that less than three people a year are killed while chipping, they may think the odds of having an accident are very low. On the other hand, if tree workers knew that at least one person was KWC (killed while chipping) every two weeks or so, they might be more inclined to quit standing on the feed table and begin working in a safer manner.
Second, since chipper accidents are this common, what must be done to reduce them?
The SDSU compilation of chipper accidents from 1997 to 2008 indicates that the majority of the fatalities involve workers engaged in activities that willfully violate accepted industry safety standards as well as manufacturer recommendations.
In fact they were all doing exactly what all chipper manufacturers say not to do! In one instance, as a worker
was using his foot to push branches into the in-feed rollers, his shoe became caught on a stub, pulling
him into the machine up to his waist. He died within minutes.
There are numerous accidents that have a similar set up and outcome; a worker stands with a foot on the feed table to clear out a jam or kick brush. His or her shoe or pant leg becomes entangled in the brush, pulling them into the machine.
Chipper accidents are not always fatal, but they are rarely minor. Nonfatal injuries with chippers tend to be very serious, often requiring amputation of a foot or leg up to the knee. Everyone operating a chipper should know that using a foot to feed brush, clear a jam or kick in a log are not safe work practices. Unfortunately this risky behavior persists because too many workers have gotten away with it time and time again without any mishaps. Russian roulette is Russian roulette no matter how
the game is played.
A newspaper report of a “foot-first” chipper accident included this quote from another tree care company manager who said such accidents were the fault of the machine: “If someone in this business says they haven’t used their foot to free a log, they’d be lying.” He is probably close to
the truth, but we are deceiving ourselves if we blame the tool for the tragic results of our own behavior. No machine’s safety features should be blindly depended upon
to save you from yourself. For example: don’t count upon the reverse bar to save you if your foot gets caught. As you are being fed into the machine, you are not
likely to hit the reverse bar in time: you’ll find you cannot reach it or the situation unfolds faster than you can react. In one accident as the worker was being pulled in feet-first, a co-worker hit the reverse bar
without any effect. The reverse bar was inoperable, and instead of shutting down the machine, several panicked workers continued to keep hitting the bar as their
screaming co-worker was pulled completely through the machine.
The second most common accident is being pulled into the machine hands-first. A common scenario finds the crew wondering where the chipper operator disappeared to, only to discover legs sticking out of the in-feed hopper. During the task of feeding in short branches, the worker’s
glove is grabbed, pinched or snagged,pulling the hand through the rollers and into the machine, with the rest of the worker’s body following close behind. The chipper may stop at the shoulder, but that is scant comfort for the victim. If the machine is reversed quickly enough, the “lucky” victims only suffer an arm amputated to the
elbow, above the wrist, or perhaps only a finger or two is lost. One “lucky” victim who got pulled in by a glove, held onto the reversing bar for dear life. It didn’t reverse,
but his grip on the bar kept him from going through. With his head caught in the rollers and his neck broken, the accident was classified as nonfatal, but the victim in this
case is paralyzed for life from the neck down.
The third common accident involves being struck by the shroud (aka hood or cover) covering the disc itself. The usual scenario here involves a worker opening the hood to clear a jam before the chipper disc has completely stopped. The disc can hit the shroud, tearing it loose from the
hinges, striking the worker. In the aftermath of one of these accidents, a fellow worker said “He knew he wasn’t supposed to remove the cover while the disc was
spinning.”
From the March edition of TCI Magazine:
http://www.treecareindustry.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_Mar_09.pdf
An ongoing research project on tree worker safety being conducted by South Dakota State University (SDSU) indicatets hat chipper fatalities are occurring sometimes as often as twice a month, as opposed to the oft-cited statistic of less than three a year.
To contrast the South Dakota State University data with the AMA/CDC/BLS statistics: five tree workers were killed in separate accidents involving chippers during a nine week period at the end of 2008.
One was killed reaching in to clear a jam. In another, the worker was pulled in while grabbing a branch that was stuck in the running machine. The third and fourth workers were pulled in feet-first while clearing jams. The fifth was clearing branches from a chipper that had been propped up on blocks, crushing him to death when it fell.
These accidents underscore two major concerns. First, the BLS under-reporting creates an unrealistically rosy view of the workplace and a false sense of security. If tree workers believe that less than three people a year are killed while chipping, they may think the odds of having an accident are very low. On the other hand, if tree workers knew that at least one person was KWC (killed while chipping) every two weeks or so, they might be more inclined to quit standing on the feed table and begin working in a safer manner.
Second, since chipper accidents are this common, what must be done to reduce them?
The SDSU compilation of chipper accidents from 1997 to 2008 indicates that the majority of the fatalities involve workers engaged in activities that willfully violate accepted industry safety standards as well as manufacturer recommendations.
In fact they were all doing exactly what all chipper manufacturers say not to do! In one instance, as a worker
was using his foot to push branches into the in-feed rollers, his shoe became caught on a stub, pulling
him into the machine up to his waist. He died within minutes.
There are numerous accidents that have a similar set up and outcome; a worker stands with a foot on the feed table to clear out a jam or kick brush. His or her shoe or pant leg becomes entangled in the brush, pulling them into the machine.
Chipper accidents are not always fatal, but they are rarely minor. Nonfatal injuries with chippers tend to be very serious, often requiring amputation of a foot or leg up to the knee. Everyone operating a chipper should know that using a foot to feed brush, clear a jam or kick in a log are not safe work practices. Unfortunately this risky behavior persists because too many workers have gotten away with it time and time again without any mishaps. Russian roulette is Russian roulette no matter how
the game is played.
A newspaper report of a “foot-first” chipper accident included this quote from another tree care company manager who said such accidents were the fault of the machine: “If someone in this business says they haven’t used their foot to free a log, they’d be lying.” He is probably close to
the truth, but we are deceiving ourselves if we blame the tool for the tragic results of our own behavior. No machine’s safety features should be blindly depended upon
to save you from yourself. For example: don’t count upon the reverse bar to save you if your foot gets caught. As you are being fed into the machine, you are not
likely to hit the reverse bar in time: you’ll find you cannot reach it or the situation unfolds faster than you can react. In one accident as the worker was being pulled in feet-first, a co-worker hit the reverse bar
without any effect. The reverse bar was inoperable, and instead of shutting down the machine, several panicked workers continued to keep hitting the bar as their
screaming co-worker was pulled completely through the machine.
The second most common accident is being pulled into the machine hands-first. A common scenario finds the crew wondering where the chipper operator disappeared to, only to discover legs sticking out of the in-feed hopper. During the task of feeding in short branches, the worker’s
glove is grabbed, pinched or snagged,pulling the hand through the rollers and into the machine, with the rest of the worker’s body following close behind. The chipper may stop at the shoulder, but that is scant comfort for the victim. If the machine is reversed quickly enough, the “lucky” victims only suffer an arm amputated to the
elbow, above the wrist, or perhaps only a finger or two is lost. One “lucky” victim who got pulled in by a glove, held onto the reversing bar for dear life. It didn’t reverse,
but his grip on the bar kept him from going through. With his head caught in the rollers and his neck broken, the accident was classified as nonfatal, but the victim in this
case is paralyzed for life from the neck down.
The third common accident involves being struck by the shroud (aka hood or cover) covering the disc itself. The usual scenario here involves a worker opening the hood to clear a jam before the chipper disc has completely stopped. The disc can hit the shroud, tearing it loose from the
hinges, striking the worker. In the aftermath of one of these accidents, a fellow worker said “He knew he wasn’t supposed to remove the cover while the disc was
spinning.”
