Wood coming from the infeed rollers jammed up as it fell onto the chipper conveyor belt. A chipperman tried to clear the
jam without turning off any part of the machine or using a picaroon. His hand and arm were caught up in the teeth of the
rotating rollers, and his body was pulled onto the chipper conveyor. The chipperman's arm was twisted off at the
shoulder. Another worker heard his cries
and rescued him before he was pulled into
the chipper.
Use a tool to clear wood jams and wear a safety belt and lanyard.
In a similar accident, a worker was
clearing a wood jam on a trim waste
conveyor while the machine was still
moving. The worker climbed onto the
guarding and reached over to clear the
jam. His hand and arm were pulled into
the tail spool, resulting in severe crushing.
Safe work practices:
- Provide written safe work procedures
for clearing jams.
- Use a restraining safety belt and lanyard
(or other protection) when feeding or
clearing a hog or chipper.
- Use a picaroon or other effective tool to
clear wood jams.
