Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313087694 - Asplundh Tree Expert Co

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Richmond (Regional Office) - Safety 0355111

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:30 p.m., on or about April 14, 2009, Employee #1 was in the vicinity of a WoodChuck Chipper Corp wood chipper, which had been used to chip limbs that had been trimmed from a Cedar tree located adjacent to an overhead high voltage line. The feed chain at the in-feed on the wood chipper had ceased to work and a foreman, along with his two employees, with the chipper off, looked for the problem. Employee #1 found what he thought was the problem. The arm to the neutral control located just above the in-feed chute had come loose and was reattached by Employee #1. The foreman came down and asked if the machine was ok, both employees told him it was. One employee went around to the side of the chipper the guard over the wheel, which encased the blades, was on. The employee climbed up on the frame of the chipper and he said the deceased gave him the tools to take the two bolts out (one on each side of the guard) which he did. The employee said the foreman saw him move the wheel by hand and the wheel moved freely. The foreman slammed the guard back over the wheel and went to the other side of the machine and started it up. Employee #1 again tried to feed limbs into the chipper, but it still didn't work. The foreman cut the machine off (When machine is turned off the wheel free wheels until it stops) and checked the arm that the employees said they had fixed and found they had not properly connected it, which he did. The foreman started the machine again and Employee #1 told him it was now working. The foreman turned the machine off again. Employee #1 was located at the in-feed chute at this time. The home owner adjacent to the church called the foreman to the rear of the operation to show him some limbs that had fell from a tree during previous storms. The foreman stated he heard someone yell (employee who had been on the deck of the chipper) and he went to the chipper and the employee told him to check on Employee #1. As Employee #1 walked from the in-feed chute of the chipper to the side of machine and while walking adjacent to the guard over the wheel, the guard contacted the wheel causing the guard to be violently thrown open and striking Employee #1 in the right side of the head and the right side of his neck resulting in his death.

Keywords: GUARD, CHIPPER, STRUCK BY