Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

North Carolina General Statue 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina: The employer did not furnish to each of his employees conditions of employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, unsafe work practice(s) allowed employee to be exposed to hazard of being caught in and struck by rotating parts within feed chute of self-feeding chipper: jobsite, Bandit Tree Chipper - employer failed to provide or insure employee was adequately trained and practiced safe operation while using Bandit brush chipper; safety policy and procedures as established by employer company and/or recommended by equipment manufacturer were not consistently enforced. Employer failed to insure chipper operator was properly trained and warned that amputation and death could happen unless they follow all of the warning instructions for operating brush chipper. Inadequate training and failure to practice safe operation of Bandit Chipper resulted in accident and death of employee on 05/27/98. (Reference Bandit Tree Chipper Model 250 & 1250 Operating & Parts Manual (see pages #2, 6, 7 & 30); Safety Bandit Bits newsletter by Performance First, Inc.) One feasible and acceptable method of abatement is to conduct hazard assessment of machinery/equipment as to related work activity, wherein the following concerns are addressed: (a) employer insures proper and ongoing training for operator (or affected personnel) to identify danger areas and hazards associated with equipment and work being performed; provide means to insure consistent enforcement of established safety policy and procedures for equipment (chipper) operation; (b) provide concise information and instruction to employee on hazards; (c) identify and require use of proper personal protective equipment for work performed; (d) certify actions taken for hazard assessment and employee training.