Another chipper death

[populus]

A tree worker was pulled into a chipper in Loveland CO. The accident is being investigated by OSHA.  It seems that this is at least the third chipper death in the news this year.
Source: MSNBC.
Update: The victim was said to be an experienced tree care worker, and was working for Brian's Tree Service.

[jon12345]

That is really unfortunate, I know a lot of people that have gotten hurt while working with forestry equipment.  CNN reported that forestry and logging is the most dangerous job out there (really it tied with 1 other) with nearly 100 fatalities per 100,000 workers I think it was.

Industrial machinery is nothing to mess around with.  I think a lot of accidents are caused by someone being too comfortable with a machine and they become careless or forget how dangerous what they are doing really is.

[mometal77]

I know more have seen here what a chipper does and probably have installed more blades on the things than me.  i worked for aspludh for a while it scared the heck out of me when i saw a hard had fall into one of the chippers.   Good first time lesson glad it was the guy showing me how to run ones hard hat.  Usually accidents came from the wrong pair of gloves with the non easy to get off or can catch on anything or being pulled in by a v in a tree branch.   You just have to watch out take your time and have your pile of branches stacked right. So easier to grab and the butt towards you. 

[Tom]

What is the proper way to feed a chipper and why? 

[SwampDonkey]

I would feed the butt end first. That way the crotches pull away from you and don't catch your hand or clothes to pull you in. If you feed branches first they'll fetch the edges of the hopper and snag you coat sleeves. Ever feed a fire branch tips first? I can't remember how many gloves took flight with the branch as I tossed it on the fire pile.  : Well, there's an extra left hand glove to go with the new pair. :D :D :D

[rebocardo]

>What is the proper way to feed a chipper and why?

On the six inch chipper I usually use.

If you are going to stand next to the machine, pick up with one hand to feed, with the other on the stop lever above the feed shute. That way if you get pulled in, your arm gets pushed forward, which pushes the lever forward and reverse feeds the chipper.

If standing behind it or off to the side feeding larger limbs, then branches first while holding the butt end. That way you do not get snagged by branches around your gloves or cuffs and can easilly let go once it starts feeding.

[SwampDonkey]

In that senario I can invision some guy with a big forked branch he's just dropped in the hopper, branch tips first, then the upper portion with limbs comes slamming down on him as a lassoo and the fork of two big branches catches the guy in a wishbone and pulls him in.  :

[Minnesota_boy]

What is the proper way to feed a chipper and why? 

The proper way is to sit on the seat of a loader truck with a nice grapple to grab the limbs and feed them into the chipper.  You have enough power at your disposal to keep the limbs from dragging the grapple into the chipper while you remain a safe distance away.

[SwampDonkey]

That would work for me too, make sure she has air and heat. ;D

[rebocardo]

Swampdonkey, you stand behind the forks and branches, not in front of them.

It is a lot easier to pick up the heavy end and feed branches in then picking up the branch end and trying to feed the heavy butt end first. Which requires you to be near the end of the hopper and then once it grabs and starts pulling if the branches collapse going into the shute, it can snag you and pull you.

[SwampDonkey]

Swampdonkey, you stand behind the forks and branches, not in front of them.

It is a lot easier to pick up the heavy end and feed branches in then picking up the branch end and trying to feed the heavy butt end first. Which requires you to be near the end of the hopper and then once it grabs and starts pulling if the branches collapse going into the shute, it can snag you and pull you.

I can see someone grabbing a very long heavy limb in the middle and feeding the hopper. (You can say don't do that till your blue in the face, but it's gonna happen) That is more apt to hook and grab because as the limb goes in, the cross branches are compressed toward each other squeezing inward, and branches and any pointy sharp stubs, snag your clothes. Snagged coat sleeve being pulled in, while your pulling against the forces of the machine. You better rip that coat sleeve off or your going in to.

Grab the branch in the middle if it's long (recommend cut it in two) and awkward, then the branch tips point away from the chipper, thus pulling away from your body and not acting as a hook or puncture stick. Any branches I've cut and handled grow away from the butt, not toward it, and can't hook you. I just can't see how anyone can be hooked when the 'V' of any branch crotches points away from the machine.

As per manufacterers operating instructions below.....

http://www.morbark.com/Service/Brush%20Chipper%20Safety.pdf.

[Tom]

That's the kind of stuff I was looking for.  Any of you have personal experiences or suggestions on how to operate this stuff without getting killed?

[rebocardo]

> I can see someone grabbing a very long heavy limb in the middle and feeding the hopper.
> (You can say don't do that till your blue in the face, but it's gonna happen)

No, I have everything cut before hand and stacked so it feeds well, because I am the one that cut the tree. Besides that, I keep a lopper handy along with my MS-180 to handle anything questionable before I pop it in. I just leave them to the side and then chainsaw them again.

If I have something really heavy, put it in N, put one end on the in shute, put it in F, then walk to the back of the stick (sapling), lift up the end, get it to feed standing to the side at the end, then stand back once it starts feeding.

One thing I have found feeding butt end first is that the branches collapse,  the crotch jams the gears or it jams the wood sideways, before it gets to the chipper. This is on the smaller 6" chippers.

My friend has a 14" inch, I never would use that without being in the Bobcat with a grapple.

[Texas Ranger]

We had a chipper accident here a couple of years ago.  They were changing blades on a mill chipper, using a cable wench to drop the blades into the belly of that thing.  The labor got through and climbed out.  Some genius hit the start switch with the cable still in the chipper, it snapped the cable tight and killed three men.  The mill owner, a worker, and a logger just watching.

God help mill workers, all workers.

[Kevin]

Here are some safety tips for chippers ...

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hid8.html

[Cedarman]

Don't all chippers have a safety bar that instantly reverses the machine if it is pushed forward?

Also, if you don't have the key to the machine or the key to the lock on the breaker in your pocket you shouldn't be in a machine. When my guys work on our hog, they better have a lock on the thing.

Even on the WM when changing a blade, OSHA says you must have the key out and with you when you change the blade.  I have the citation to prove it.

[woodnut]

I've never used a woodchipper but have used a plastic chipper. It had a 10 inch opening which I probably could squeeze into. At the time I was only worried about my fingers or a arm. Maybe the final opening before it gets to the blades should be no more than six inches if person loading brush-any size opening for machine loading brush.

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

I have a 12" Morbark disc chipper with hydraulic feed. If you tried to feed it tips first you would spend ALL DAY unclogging the feed rollers.

From Kevin's Link:

Workers feed brush and limbs into the infeed hopper butt end first.

From SD's Link:

Feed the brush into the chipper butt-end first.