This is gross

[magster65]

The story says it all. Why does stuff like this happen? I saw this story a couple days ago and today I had to work next to a chipper. I couldn't stop thinking about the poor fella'... I think you'd be concious (but in shock) right until the end. Yuck!

 

[KRS]

Re: This is gross

Terrible story.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: This is gross

Actually a very common accident. I have a friend who owns a tree service and the tree industry magazine runs that type of story yearly. Those things are danger on wheels. Sad story - like watching a train wreck - you just have to watch.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: This is gross

Dangerous business, I know of 2 people killed in that line of work in the past few years. Both of which were long time timber men.

 

[txswinner]

Re: This is gross

This kind of death is total bs. Why is there no emergency cut off. If not then drag out that ole PI lawyer everyone loves to hate and hit them hard enough to install one. If it has been tampered with then the employer is on the line. Sorry gang I know many think it is up to the employee to be careful but I disagree.

 

[ehenry]

Re: This is gross

When I was a teenager I watched a guy get pulled in to a silage cutter and another guy get his leg pulled in to a cotton picker head. Any kind of power equipment is an accident waiting to happen if you arent careful.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: This is gross

Originally posted by txswinner:<br /> This kind of death is total bs. Why is there no emergency cut off. If not then drag out that ole PI lawyer everyone loves to hate and hit them hard enough to install one. If it has been tampered with then the employer is on the line. Sorry gang I know many think it is up to the employee to be careful but I disagree.

Yep, no need for personal responsibility, long as ya got a good lawyer

 

[dogsdad]

Re: This is gross

What a way to go. Kind of like being eaten alive by a mechanical shark.<br /><br />Txs, I understand your concern, but if it is NOT up to the employee to be careful, then what? Should the employee be empowered to be lacodasical, careless, and complacent? If so, then we need to make sure all knives and other sharp tools are ground dull, all transportation machinery will need to be disabled, and all bathtubs must have holes drilled in them to prevent the accumalation of more that two inches of water.<br /><br />My point is, you can't relieve the individual of all responsibility for his own safety without basically imprisoning him.

 

[tommays]

Re: This is gross

On something like a chipper which has a VERY DEEP infeed chute it would be at best hard to put on a E-STOP that could be reached from every position.<br /><br />Never mind trying to stop a multi-thousand pound flywheel in the 2 seconds it takes to be pulled into the cutting head.<br /><br />tommays

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: This is gross

On the contrary.... all chippers have an emergency stop around the intake chute. Many workers disablr thr cut off and or do not do the proper maintenance and testing of it. On every chipper I have rented and seen.... all have the warnings posted and instructions to test the emergency cut off switches. The cut off stops the feed jaws dead and will even reverse them. When large trees or branches are fed into the machine it often hits the cut off.<br /><br />I sum up most chipper accidents as operator error by being too comfortable with getting away with shortcuts.

 

[txswinner]

Re: This is gross

Yes employee bears responsibility for safety, but doesn't your bass boat have a man overboard shut off. These were put on motors because of lawsuits by the evil lawyers. That goes for seat belts, back seat shoulder harnesses for kids, back up horns, non-flammable material and many other safety items. Yeah there are frivilous lawsuits but not nearly as many as you think. that is another thread.<br /><br />My point was a emergency shut down should be operative on any piece of heavy equipment and it is the EMPLOYER'S responsibility to see it is there, it is working and should enforce its use even if it slows production.... No room for error, "Accidents are caused, they do not just happen." E.I. DuPont

 

[PW2]

Re: This is gross

I don't have any idea what happened in this case, but if statistics have any relevance, you can bet that the employee was doing something unsafe.<br /><br />That does not leave the employer off the hook. You can bet that if the investigation goes as it should, they will investigate the training proceedures and the safety program of the employer, and make sure he has documented evidence that he has very specific rules and proceedures, and that he has evidence that those rules are strictly enforced.<br /><br />These pieces of equipment, especially if they are of the industrial variety, have little room for error. A machine that will virtually instantly make mulch out of a 6 " tree limb are not to be treated lightly.<br /><br />I've seen people do some pretty stupid things around machinery, and they will unless you follow a rigid set of rules and enforce them without fail and with teeth in the penalty.