Julia Zhu1, Kitty Gelberg1. 1. Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Workers are killed every year in wood chipper-related incidents despite the repeated hazard warnings. In-depth, comprehensive, and up-to-date studies are needed to identify causal, risk, and contributing factors and assess the current control measures so that an effective and proactive prevention approach can be developed. METHODS: Cases were identified from four online databases and manually reviewed to characterize and categorize the fatal events. RESULTS: The study identified 113 wood chipper-related worker deaths (1982-2016). The victims were killed in struck-by (57), caught-in (41), motor vehicle (7), electrical (4), fall (2), and heat stroke (2) incidents while performing chipper-related tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Chipper-related worker deaths are preventable. Young and inexperienced workers may be at higher risk for caught-in deaths. The current feed wheel control devices are not effective for workers to self-rescue. Fully automatic feed wheel stop devices are needed to prevent caught-in incidents.
BACKGROUND: Workers are killed every year in wood chipper-related incidents despite the repeated hazard warnings. In-depth, comprehensive, and up-to-date studies are needed to identify causal, risk, and contributing factors and assess the current control measures so that an effective and proactive prevention approach can be developed. METHODS: Cases were identified from four online databases and manually reviewed to characterize and categorize the fatal events. RESULTS: The study identified 113 wood chipper-related worker deaths (1982-2016). The victims were killed in struck-by (57), caught-in (41), motor vehicle (7), electrical (4), fall (2), and heat stroke (2) incidents while performing chipper-related tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Chipper-related worker deaths are preventable. Young and inexperienced workers may be at higher risk for caught-in deaths. The current feed wheel control devices are not effective for workers to self-rescue. Fully automatic feed wheel stop devices are needed to prevent caught-in incidents.