Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 Hazard:

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the hazard of being caught-in rotating/moving parts of a wood chipper: a) Placid Drive, Schenectady, NY - On or about May 4, 2016, employees were exposed to rotating blades and moving parts while feeding tree limbs into the Bandit Hand Fed Wood Chipper (Model # 250, Serial # 19349) in that the employer failed to ensure that only employees trained in safe operation operated chippers and that only safe operating practices and techniques were used for feeding the chipper. b) Church Road, Schenectady, NY - On or about May 4, 2016, employees were exposed to rotating blades and moving parts while feeding tree limbs into the Bandit Hand Fed Wood Chipper (Model # 250, Serial # 19349) in that the employer failed to ensure that only employees trained in safe operation operated chippers and that only safe operating practices and techniques were used for feeding the chipper. c) Salvia Lane, Schenectady, NY - On or about May 4, 2016, employees were exposed to rotating blades and moving parts while feeding tree limbs into the Bandit Hand Fed Wood Chipper (Model # 250, Serial # 19349) in that the employer failed to ensure that only employees trained in safe operation operated chippers and that only safe operating practices and techniques were used for feeding the chipper. At Placid Drive, Church Road, and Salvia Lane, unsafe practices, including but not limited to the following, were in use at the worksites: - operators leaning into the infeed hopper - operators reaching into the infeed hopper - operators standing on the left side of the wood, on the left of the center line of the infeed hopper (when facing the infeed hopper while feeding it) - operators pushing small pieces of wood and branches by hand - operators were manipulating large tree limbs in front of the infeed hopper with their back to it