Virginia man dies in wood chipper accident

[DP425]

Lets remember what was said........



What I said was..........




I stand by what I said. I highly doubt the family and community of the deceased is really concerned about what part of the loved one's body was first to enter the chipper. Yes every accident should be a learning experience for all but I cannot see the family wondering about if the person went head first.

Well, I’d probably rather go in head first, if I had to make the choice.

Imagine getting pulled in and knowing what’s coming, then getting to feel it grinding you up for a few seconds, before it’s over.

Yeah, I’d rather it be over quickly

 

[rtrsam]

https://www.salsco.com/videos/sss-salsco-safety-shield.html
There are additional safety features being incorporated into chippers now: these safety bracelets that automatically stop the feed rollers if you get too close. There are other variations, this is just the first I found in a quick google search. I think they can be added or retrofitted to Vermeer or Morbark units.

This wouldn't help the guy getting pulled out of a tree by his tagline, but it might keep you from getting dragged into the chipper

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

You'll never get the real story from any newspaper / corporate news article. 30 years ago they couldn't get a story right. These days, absolute mushminds are the ones taking notes, and what gets printed most of the time is downright laughable to those who were there.

I see this with aviation accidents all the time. The reporters couldn't tell a wing spar from landing gear, or a piston engine from a turbine.

 

[pdqdl]

I never heard of that brand.
The infeed opening looks a bit small for such a large chipper. Perhaps part of their fatality reduction plan?

 

[ZinTrees]

Had my rope pulled near a chipper once. You get down, pack and leave. We consider ourselves lucky that day.

I sent dumbass to the truck after cussing him out for 10 minute straight and went right back up, I wasn't really in a position to shut the job down at the time but I sure as hell was in a position to make sure he never did that again

I think of Mets, and Zin, and they think they are ten feet tall and bulletproof,

IDK about Mets, but im not bulletproof, almost found that out when my neighbors 10 year old was playing with guns on their front porch and let one fly right at my face once
ive got my fair share of scars ranging from silky saws to angle grinders, plywood, chipper, never a chainsaw tho
also gotten to where I have to wear a hoodie now that its 30 degrees, im about to rip that front pocket off one of my work hoodies, damn thing snags on EVERY little twig when im chipping
you seem to think that I think im some superhuman and that I cant be hurt by anything, nah bud, ive got a burn on my hand thats stopped my from extending my left index finger for over 16 years, freak accident too, **** happens to the best of us

 

[Mike mike]

Holly ****.

 

[ZinTrees]

there's a picture on google from a while back where a dude got ran through an old vermeer, he didnt even hardly make it past the tailgate of the chip truck, im not going to post it here due to the graphic nature but he was a human smoothie
only have to see that picture and that other video of the dummy to realize chippers are no joke, the flywheel in mine is 715 pounds, 3.5ft diameter solid steel, spinning at almost 1300 RPM, imagine the inertia involved, you arent gonna stop it and its going to hurt a lot
I instruct anyone running my machine to just place the material leaning against the feed tray, and me or one other trusted operator will feed it, never let the new guys feed the chipper (plus I machine feed 90% of what I chip so theres nobody around to get hurt)

TCIA has FREE chipper operator courses along with aerial lift operator, chainsaw operator and line clearance worker certifications, I suggest taking the chipper and chainsaw ones

 

[Lightning Performance]

I sent dumbass to the truck after cussing him out for 10 minute straight and went right back up, I wasn't really in a position to shut the job down at the time but I sure as hell was in a position to make sure he never did that again

IDK about Mets, but im not bulletproof, almost found that out when my neighbors 10 year old was playing with guns on their front porch and let one fly right at my face once
ive got my fair share of scars ranging from silky saws to angle grinders, plywood, chipper, never a chainsaw tho
also gotten to where I have to wear a hoodie now that its 30 degrees, im about to rip that front pocket off one of my work hoodies, damn thing snags on EVERY little twig when im chipping
you seem to think that I think im some superhuman and that I cant be hurt by anything, nah bud, ive got a burn on my hand thats stopped my from extending my left index finger for over 16 years, freak accident too, **** happens to the best of us

I was just a hired gun who knew when to walk. No ******** not a word from me. His boss didn't have a clue and came at me like why are you stopping? His employees told the man what happened. Didn't get an apology so why bother. They got it but the boss and the problem didn't. It was best to just walk and write off half a day. Didn't even ask just quietly left while his peers chewed on him and rolled their eyes at the boss. Just another typical landscaper who sees climbers as tools nothing more.
Not my problem.

I've repelled down immediately when told how to do my job up there by nobody's screaming at me. They get it when you hit the ground, drop all my gear off me and say show me how it's done boss. Please use my gear while we all learn. They ***** or beg but either way I'm already leaving. I'm not your dog to kick. Nobody wanted to try me so far. Guess I must know my place pretty well for a narrow ass nobody.

These accidents are mostly caused by disrespect for equipment. On the rare occasion it is truly an accident knowing all the details is pretty damn important if you value life and limb no pun intended. My chuck and duck is still safer then any auto feed imho. Feed rollers don't stop. Chuck cuts off everything instantly.

 

[ZinTrees]

I was just a hired gun who knew when to walk. No ******** not a word from me. His boss didn't have a clue and came at me like why are you stopping? His employees told the man what happened. Didn't get an apology so why bother. They got it but the boss and the problem didn't. It was best to just walk and write off half a day. Didn't even ask just quietly left while his peers chewed on him and rolled their eyes at the boss. Just another typical landscaper who sees climbers as tools nothing more.
Not my problem.

I've repelled down immediately when told how to do my job up there by nobody's screaming at me. They get it when you hit the ground, drop all my gear off me and say show me how it's done boss. Please use my gear while we all learn. They ***** or beg but either way I'm already leaving. I'm not your dog to kick. Nobody wanted to try me so far. Guess I must know my place pretty well for a narrow ass nobody.

These accidents are mostly caused by disrespect for equipment. On the rare occasion it is truly an accident knowing all the details is pretty damn important if you value life and limb no pun intended. My chuck and duck is still safer then any auto feed imho. Feed rollers don't stop. Chuck cuts off everything instantly.

I had to get the bucket truck into a side yard with fence and house on 2 sides, and only parking for the other companies trucks was the front yard blocking me in, only way I was leaving that job was with cops and a wrecker, so I just sent dumbass to timeout for the day
but, im not writing off half a day either, if I leave for my own safety im going to still write an invoice for the full day, I had this happen once with a customer that left in the middle of the night to go to the ER without telling me and left the dogs out, my and my guys all got bit I think a total of 15 times in the 5 minutes we were there, I left and sent the lady a bill for it and refused to re-schedule, I have a zero tolerance policy for BS on the job

 

[rtrsam]

there's a picture on google from a while back where a dude got ran through an old vermeer, he didnt even hardly make it past the tailgate of the chip truck, im not going to post it here due to the graphic nature but he was a human smoothie
only have to see that picture and that other video of the dummy to realize chippers are no joke, the flywheel in mine is 715 pounds, 3.5ft diameter solid steel, spinning at almost 1300 RPM, imagine the inertia involved, you arent gonna stop it and its going to hurt a lot
I instruct anyone running my machine to just place the material leaning against the feed tray, and me or one other trusted operator will feed it, never let the new guys feed the chipper (plus I machine feed 90% of what I chip so theres nobody around to get hurt)

TCIA has FREE chipper operator courses along with aerial lift operator, chainsaw operator and line clearance worker certifications, I suggest taking the chipper and chainsaw ones

I've had chippers opened up to remove/replace the knives, the momentum in the disc or drum is insane just moving it by hand. You could easily lose a finger or worse. Definitely got to handle with caution.

 

[ZinTrees]

I've had chippers opened up to remove/replace the knives, the momentum in the disc or drum is insane just moving it by hand. You could easily lose a finger or worse. Definitely got to handle with caution.

I had a guy once that just didn't seem to get it, so I spun it up with the cover off (everyone stood back, in a hay field with nothing around for miles and the disk housing cleaned out)
he we went from like 50ft back to hiding behind his truck before it was even close to full speed, he's more careful than ever now!
don't do what I did, its not safe, BUT it got the point across to him really, really well!

as I mentioned, the disk in my machine is over 700 pounds spinning at 1250 RPM, thats a metric tuck fun of inertia, plus the bearings are so good that itll spin for 10 minutes after you shut the engine off, so just because its off don't mean you can just open it up and reach in there to un-clog it
mine has a pin that you push to release the hood pin, the disk shaft has a ramp on it to eject the first pin if its still turning, you only do that once!

 

[OM617YOTA]

Do any of you guys carry an easy to reach knife to cut a rope with, deadliest catch style?

 

[capetrees]

Do any of you guys carry an easy to reach knife to cut a rope with, deadliest catch style?

swiss tool on my hip at all times, razor sharp.

 

[ZinTrees]

Do any of you guys carry an easy to reach knife to cut a rope with, deadliest catch style?

silky saw and my 200T is all I take with me, I can start my saw and cut a rope faster than I can open a folding knife when im in a panic

 

[OM617YOTA]

I was thinking a fixed blade in a fast draw sheath. Folding knife would be way too slow.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Do any of you guys carry an easy to reach knife to cut a rope with, deadliest catch style?

I always carried at least 2 knives, one in the boot, one in the back pocket, or side pocket, out of the way of my saddle

 

[ZinTrees]

I was thinking a fixed blade in a fast draw sheath. Folding knife would be way too slow.

not sure how I would do that, kydex sheath with a wire breakaway for the knife maybe? retention sheath with an absolute positive lock on the knife so it cant fall out?

 

[OM617YOTA]

not sure how I would do that, kydex sheath with a wire breakaway for the knife maybe? retention sheath with an absolute positive lock on the knife so it cant fall out?

No clue. I'm 100% outsider to this subject, that's why I was asking.

 

[ZinTrees]

No clue. I'm 100% outsider to this subject, that's why I was asking.

Petzl makes this one specific for climbers, but theres no way im getting that un clipper and opened at the moment im watching my rope go into the chipper

 

[OM617YOTA]

Petzl makes this one specific for climbers, but theres no way im getting that un clipper and opened at the moment im watching my rope go into the chipper
View attachment 1131924

This is what I had in mind, just because I have a pile of them. Retained in the sheath by friction, just grab and pull.