OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14214191

BRUSH CHIPPER,TREE PRUNER,HEAD,STRUCK BY,FLYING OBJECT,TREE TRIMMING

1984-10-12T00:00:00

Event: BRUSH CHIPPER,TREE PRUNER,HEAD,STRUCK BY,FLYING OBJECT,TREE TRIMMING
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14214191
Report ID: 454714

Event description

STRUCK BY METAL COMPONENTS FROM TREE PRUNING DEVICE

Investigation abstract

SOME WORKERS WERE TRIMMING TREES WHOSE LIMBS WERE TOO CLOSE TO SOME POWER LINES. OLE AND PULLING THE METAL BLADE AND HOOK THROUGH THE AIR TOWARD THE CHIPPER AT A VERY HIGH SPEED. THE HOOK AND BLADE STRUCK EMPLOYEE #1 IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY. THEY WERE USING AN ASPLUNDT BRUSH CHIPPER TO SHRED THE BRUSH. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS S TANDING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CHIPPER, FEEDING BRUSH INTO THE INTAKE. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WAS 20 FEET AWAY, USING A PRUNING DEVICE. THE PRUNING DEVICE CONSISTS OF A TEN FOOT WOODEN POLE WITH A HOOK AND METAL BLADE AT THE END. A 30 FOOT 1/4 INCH NYLON ROPE IS ATTACHED TO THE BLADE. THE ROPE, WHEN PULLED, ENGAGES THE CUT TING BLADE AND CUTS OFF SMALL LIMBS. EMPLOYEE #1 PICKED UP AND FED SOME BRUSH IN TO THE CHIPPER, NOT REALIZING THAT THE ROPE WAS ENTANGLED IN THE BRUSH. THE CHIP PER (BLADES TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 RPM) JERKED THE ROPE, BREAKING THE WOOD P

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 36 M

Nature of injury
6

Part of body
13

Event type
1

Source
22

Occupation code
999

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
5

Task assigned
1

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