Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311436190 - West Maui Land Company Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Hi-E-Honolulu

Investigation Summary

On December 18, 2008 Employee #1 a laborer was working on a crew of three laborers was killed in brush-chipper incident. The three labors were clearing brush and landscaping debris at the rear of a residence. Employee # 1 was assigned to process gathered brush (palm fronds, coconut leaves, small branches) through a brush-chipper with a 12-inch throat (infeed port) and powered by a 108 horsepower engine. Another laborer who was operating a loader-backhoe was clearing a path through the brush line was about thirty-feet from the chipper and was facing away from the chipper when the incident occurred. The third laborer was trimming brush on the far side of the brush line and could not see the chipper. The loader-backhoe operator reported hearing a sound such as a cry from the vicinity of the chipper and then saw Employee #1 being pulled into the feed chute of the chipper head first. The coworker ran to the chipper and stopped its infeed rollers, at which point Employee #1's body was caught in the chipper's infeed port to approximately the waist. Employee # 1's head, left arm, and part of the right arm were removed by the chipper blades. Employee #1 was experienced in using the chipper and had trained other employees in the past to use it.

Keywords: BRUSH CHIPPER, CLEANING, CAUGHT BY, CHIPPER, DECAPITATED