Inglewood (CA) worker is pulled into wood chipper, dies

[GeorgeBBruin]

Sad to report from the Los Angeles Times the following:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chipper10apr10,0,2282252.story?track=mostviewed-storylevel

The man was part of a tree-trimming crew and was dragged into the machine while feeding it branches, authorities say.
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
1:51 PM PDT, April 9, 2008
An Inglewood city employee who was part of a tree-trimming crew was killed after being pulled into a wood chipper, authorities said today.

The accident was reported at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday in the 3000 block of West 80th Street, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Sam Padilla.

The 46-year-old worker, who was not immediately identified because his family hadn't been notified, somehow got caught and was dragged into the machine, authorities said.

"Somebody was in the tree trimming and he was on the ground feeding the branches into the chipper," said Kate McGuire, a spokeswoman with Cal/OSHA, which is investigating the incident. "Somehow he was pulled into it. The co-worker did not see the accident but allegedly a resident did."

Inglewood police determined it was an industrial accident and that no crime was involved. A 24-year-old man died in a similar accident in November in Tustin.

Thirty-one people were killed in wood chipper accidents from 1992 to 2002, according to a 2005 report by the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

The Inglewood victim, an employee with the city's Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, had worked for the city for eight years, said Ed Maddox, an Inglewood spokesman.

"Nothing like this has ever happened in the city," Maddox said. "Obviously, it's a terrible tragedy."

 

[arbo 58]

Another fatality

On monday a 66 year old man died after being struck on the neck by a chainsaw.(southwestern ontario). Not much info, just a news item. I assume it was probably a kickback situation. The same day we got a call from our company owner,s cousin. He is a carpenter and was doing some reno work at a house. The home owner said he wanted a tree removed so buddy said "I can do that", so up the tree he went on a ladder, no harness, belt or anything and started cutting limbs. I think the 2nd or 3th one he cut hit him on head. Result 10 stiches and lucky to be alive. At that point he decided to call us to take the tree down. I don,t know what these people are thinking. It,s like "ahh what the hell ,you start up a saw and start cutting...simple". By the way i,m pretty sure the first top he cut out would have been a good rigging point for the rest of the tree. Anyway, hang in there everyone, we have to keep trying to educate people and have them call the professionals.