[KevinP73]

Injury Associated with Working Near
or Operating Wood Chippers
Description of Hazard


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), 11 workers lost their lives during 1992 through 1997 while working near mobile wood chippers. In seven of the incidents, the victim was caught by the feed mechanism and pulled through the chipper knives. The victims in four of the incidents were struck by hoods (guards that cover the rotating chipper knives) that separated from the machines after being improperly opened or closed while knives were still rotating.

During 1998, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received two additional reports of worker deaths from operating wood chippers. These incidents illustrate the two most common causes of fatal injury: being fed through the chipper knives or being struck by the chipper disc hood. The incidents were investigated as part of the NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program.