Inspection Detail

Inspection: 109211193 - Farrens Tree Surgeons, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Tampa Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was a groundsman, and at the time of the accident his job was to feed the cut brush and branches into the Woodchuck Chipper. Other employees in the work crew heard Employee #1 give out a scream. The closest coworker to Employee #1 ran over and saw that Employee #1 was being pulled into the chipper feet first. The coworker got to the chipper and pushed the directional control arm forward to stop the in-feed motion, and then he turned off the ignition key to shut down the chipper. Employee #1 sustained extensive serious injuries and he died at the scene. Employee interviews indicated that Employee #1 attempted to feed some of the brush into the feed chute with his foot, and the brush caught his foot and pulled him into the machine.

Keywords: BRUSH CHIPPER, AMPUTATED, CAUGHT BY, LACERATION, FOOT