Using your Foot/Leg to clear an obstruction in a chipper

[GM-GUY]

I just saw a tree company - won't list the name here - cutting down a tree at a private school. Has the bucket truck and chipper, helmets, boots. No problems, on the way back from dropping my son off at school, I see the ground guy using his WHOLE LEG inside the feed tray to clear an obstruction (I assume as the discharge was pointed my way).

The machine appeared running, but nothing was coming out of the chute. I called campus security and let them know - they are responsible for issues on campus - besides they don't know me from Adam - and probably would get pissed that some 'guy off the street' was busting their chops.

I have never seen anything so dumb in my life, the way he was hanging onto the top of the chute, leads me to believe that the machine was actively feeding, just jammed. I had flashbacks of the story of the kid in CT.

Just a really disturbing thing, and at this time of year, it could have been a high school grad with his first job and minimal training.

 

[ckliff]

Darwin award contestant?

 

[Youngbuck20]

If he did get sucked in he'd never do it again lol

 

[beastmaster]

I quit a Job because of that, and at a school too. It was the owner's friend. He use to drink vodka on the job, by the end of the day he would be smashed. One morning at a middle school I had them close off a fenced in area, but you know how kids are, They were hanging on the fence watching when ever they could. I am up in a big ash tree, I have to keep an eye out for this guy constantly. I look down and he's using his leg to push in brush on the BC 1800, it about 9 AM he already drunk. I came down said clean up, and pack the truck were going back to the yard. I never said anything to him. I never went back to work there either. I came out the bad guy there, can't use that place as a reference. But may of saved that dummys life.

 

[no tree to big]

yup a foot is a great tool for pushing things into the feed wheels. I'm not gonna lie I do it, mostly when the infeed is packed full of short sticks from a clean up and the wheels just wont grab the pile. first the shovel comes out then if that don't work I start kicking but I also have my hand on the stopper bar and generally 2-3 feet of sticks between my foot and the rollers

 

[Grouchy old man]

Nice knowing you.:msp_thumbdn:

 

[DeAvilaTree]

I won't mention any company names but I heard of a story a few years ago were a kid was running stuff thru the chipper, and the bottom roller door was missing off the chipper (underneath the chipper) and a pile built up underneath (we've all seen it one time or an other) the kid went to kick the pile out from underneath and the roller caught his foot pulling his leg threw that trap door opening. He lost his leg at his hip.
I use my rake or shovel their easier to replace.

 

[mr. holden wood]

I just saw a tree company - won't list the name here - cutting down a tree at a private school. Has the bucket truck and chipper, helmets, boots. No problems, on the way back from dropping my son off at school, I see the ground guy using his WHOLE LEG inside the feed tray to clear an obstruction (I assume as the discharge was pointed my way).

The machine appeared running, but nothing was coming out of the chute. I called campus security and let them know - they are responsible for issues on campus - besides they don't know me from Adam - and probably would get pissed that some 'guy off the street' was busting their chops.

I have never seen anything so dumb in my life, the way he was hanging onto the top of the chute, leads me to believe that the machine was actively feeding, just jammed. I had flashbacks of the story of the kid in CT.

Just a really disturbing thing, and at this time of year, it could have been a high school grad with his first job and minimal training.

What will these guys do next, one hand a 200t. This job is extremlly dangerous and I don't think using your leg is any more dangerous then an arm. Nobody forced you to do this type of work, you want a zero risk career head over to bed bath and beyond.

 

[tree md]

I never stick any body part into the feed shoot unless the machine is completely shut off. When I was coming up and learning anyone who was caught doing that was cussed and yelled at and made to look a fool in front of everyone. Didn't matter if it was the boss or whoever, we pulled each other up on unsafe #### like that.

 

[Johny Utah]

yup a foot is a great tool for pushing things into the feed wheels. I'm not gonna lie I do it, mostly when the infeed is packed full of short sticks from a clean up and the wheels just wont grab the pile. first the shovel comes out then if that don't work I start kicking but I also have my hand on the stopper bar and generally 2-3 feet of sticks between my foot and the rollers

Why would you not just use a 2x4 or something wood to push it in??? or do you have a supply of spare appendages at home just in case you have a blonde moment.

 

[treeman75]

It gives me the willies any time I have to open the feed wheels and crawl inside by the disc.

 

[beastmaster]

They use to have paddles back when all there was were chuck and dive drum chippers. They were tapered so you could push stuff in, but not reach the drum. I use a wide shovel or the push broom a lot if I need to push on stuff.
I wrote a paper on chipper accidents for a class I took. Its always the same thing, one minute their there, and in a flash their gone. A chipper can easily kill and eat you especially those big self feed chippers. It unnerves me to see some one sticking their hands and feet in them, even if their an idiot. I don't want to see the aftermath.
You'ed think fear and self preservation, would kick in, even if respect and good sense is in short supple.

 

[formationrx]

....

sticking a leg in there is ####### retarded... use a plunger piece or a ram rod... its made so it fits perfectly and doesnt reach the feed wheel but goes right up to it (best on drum)... or reverse the feed and straighten out the jam...

 

[deevo]

They use to have paddles back when all there was were chuck and dive drum chippers. They were tapered so you could push stuff in, but not reach the drum. I use a wide shovel or the push broom a lot if I need to push on stuff.
I wrote a paper on chipper accidents for a class I took. Its always the same thing, one minute their there, and in a flash their gone. A chipper can easily kill and eat you especially those big self feed chippers. It unnerves me to see some one sticking their hands and feet in them, even if their an idiot. I don't want to see the aftermath.
You'ed think fear and self preservation, would kick in, even if respect and good sense is in short supple.

Yep, we have a paddle just like you talk about. Easy to make, no hands go past the start of the infeed table on my crews....period. Using a leg like the original poster posted is just plain retarded!

 

[treeslayer]

Thats really stupid, ruining good mulch like that. unless you got a buyer for red mulch product......:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[imagineero]

This is in some ways a confusing topic...

I think we need to get our terminology straight. Newer style chippers with a set of feed rollers are totally different from older style chuck n ducks. Newer chippers also have a lot more safety features. In australia, OHS specifies that there be a minimum distance of 1m from the feed rollers to the end of the "no entrace' area, then a further 1m chute beyond that adding up to 2m, or nearly 7'.

We run a bandit 18, it could chew me up no problem but I feel it's a fairly safe machine when operated correctly. The most common injuries when chipping have nothing to do with the operator going through the chipper which is very rare (but does happen). Most injuries are related to crushes - operator getting squashed by a log as the feed rollers take it up, bruises/fractures when logs suddenly swing sideways, and then lesser injuries like chunks spitting out at you when someone lifted the rollers up or you ended up with crap in your eye.

Using your foot is not a complete no no. There are times when it is safer.... most often when feeding logs that are over 3' long, but large and heavy. I'd rather have 2 hands on the over bar, one foot on the ground and one foot pushing the log then have 2 feet on the ground and trying to push by hand. You can generate a lot more push with your feet, and in a safer way too. Good luck trying to push a 4 or 5' 18" log by hand into the chute. Especially if it's a wet heavy hardwood. I'd love to have a vide of someone trying to push same into chute by means of a push paddle.

To me, safe chipper operation starts at limbing time. Cutting pieces in a way that they will feed through the chipper easily and have no forks for at least the first 2' is a great start. Proper stacking is the next step. Beyond that, proper 'sequencing' of feeding the chipper - ie. as you feed, peel off to the outside. Never feed from the middle. The next man in line feeds from the inside, never trapping the previous man. Running big chippers, we sometimes have 6 men feeding and can punch out 40 yards in an hour if it is well cut and stacked. Keeping the area in front of the chipper clear is important.

Then after that is not ever putting any part of your body past the 'fold line' of the chipper - the part of the chute that folds, about 1m away from the rollers. We use push paddles on short pieces, or more commonly other branches. Then after that, is using hands vs feet. There are plently of times when using a foot is appropriate, and safer.

Shaun

 

[tree md]

I have to disagree with the notion of sticking a leg inside of a feed chute to feed a limb/log. That has been discussed at length at every safety meeting I have ever attended and is a big no no. I have worked pretty extensively with 18" chippers in the past as well. Here most of them that I have worked with have had a winch to to pull logs in or were used in conjunction with a crane which aided in positioning large limbs and leaders. Once in position two men will feed the limb well away from the feed chute. Personally, I don't want any body part inside the feed chute. A boot lace, heel or whatever could get caught on a small nob or a foot could become trapped under a limb/log and get pulled in before you can say ####e.

 

[beastmaster]

An accident is a unplanned, unanticipated event that causes injury. If we know in advance some unforeseen one in a million slip up was going to happen there would be no accidents, but we don't. Your a lot more unlikely to have that one in a million slip up if your foot or hands isn't in the shoot at all.
I read of one tragic accident where the Owner operator, working by his self was eaten by his own chipper. No one knows what happened that day, but he went in feet first.
I had a good life and when my time comes so be it, but going throu a chipper scares the hell out of me. If your standing on one leg, the other in the chipper your already at a disadvantage if by some freak accident you get knock over.
I always wondered who would have the clarity of mind to grab those little hanging stops inside some chippers after half your bodys been chewed up?
I try not to even stand in front of the chipper while feeding it, but from the side. I saw some little guy get caught and start to get sucked in once by a branch, he was so panic he didn't even think about hitting the feed bar, the guy next to him did. He feeds from the side now too.

 

[Kottonwood]

yup a foot is a great tool for pushing things into the feed wheels. I'm not gonna lie I do it, mostly when the infeed is packed full of short sticks from a clean up and the wheels just wont grab the pile. first the shovel comes out then if that don't work I start kicking but I also have my hand on the stopper bar and generally 2-3 feet of sticks between my foot and the rollers

Whenever that happens to me I take a long skinny branch and snake it in through the bottom, once the rollers catch it it will pull everything in.

If you are a hobby guy or a homeowner you may get away with kicking sticks into a wood chipper once. We do this #### everyday. If you do stupid #### like cross your hands over your 200t, don't hold a saw properly, don't wear your chaps when making a stump cut, or kicking brush into a wood chipper it is only a matter of time. It is just math at this point, you do it enough, you start getting complacent.... then all our worker's comp goes up. Almost everyone I know that has been doing this longer than ten years has been hurt on the job in some way, most hospitalized for one reason or another..... you do dumb #### and it is only a matter of time.

 

[KenJax Tree]

An accident is a unplanned, unanticipated event that causes injury. If we know in advance some unforeseen one in a million slip up was going to happen there would be no accidents, but we don't. Your a lot more unlikely to have that one in a million slip up if your foot or hands isn't in the shoot at all.
I read of one tragic accident where the Owner operator, working by his self was eaten by his own chipper. No one knows what happened that day, but he went in feet first.
I had a good life and when my time comes so be it, but going throu a chipper scares the hell out of me. If your standing on one leg, the other in the chipper your already at a disadvantage if by some freak accident you get knock over.
I always wondered who would have the clarity of mind to grab those little hanging stops inside some chippers after half your bodys been chewed up?
I try not to even stand in front of the chipper while feeding it, but from the side. I saw some little guy get caught and start to get sucked in once by a branch, he was so panic he didn't even think about hitting the feed bar, the guy next to him did. He feeds from the side now too.

I've always fed from the side its not a bad habit to have thats for sure. There is no need to put any body part in the feed shoot we all have rakes,brooms,and shovels to use and if its really jammed shut it off first its dangerous enough as it is without the stupidity.