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Accident: 201149630 - Employee Amputates Fingers While Clearing Chipper

Accident: 201149630 -- Report ID: 0950631 -- Event Date: 11/16/2007
InspectionOpen DateSICEstablishment Name
30930086103/18/20080783Approved Tree Care
On November 16, 2007, Employee #1 was operating a Vermeer, Model Number 1600 brush chipper. After turning the brush chipper on, Employee #1 started feeding tree branches. Due to some malfunction, the exit chute on the brush chipper got clogged up. In order to unjam the machine, Employee #1 turned its engine off and a coworker helped him to flip the chute backwards, which exposed the rotary drum with the sharp blades. As Employee #1 was attempting to pull out some of the stuck branches from the chute, an unexpected spring action movement of a forked branch pushed Employee #1's right hand against the blades on the drum which was still spinning. After shutting the power off, the rotary drum takes more than two minutes before it stops spinning completely. Employee #1 amputated his thumb, index, middle and ring fingers on his right hand. He was treated in the emergency room and was not hospitalized.
Keywords: rotating parts, amputated, finger, drum, jammed, chipper, blade
Employee # Inspection Age Sex Degree Nature Occupation
1 309300861 Hospitalized injury Amputation Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm

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