# I never knew wood chippers were this dangerous. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409 "2012-04-10T21:34:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/81 "2012-04-12T15:31:58Z")
Don’t prosecute someone for causing a child’s death because society is basically too busy with other shit. I agree – what could go wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/82 "2012-04-12T15:34:30Z")
Reminds me of a Simpsons episode when Lisa is at summer camp. Lisa hesitates at getting into a canoe and asks, “Is it safe?” and Nelson replies, “Well, it isn’t getting any safer with you just _standing_ there!” and shoves her in. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/83 "2012-04-12T15:37:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, the father was being irresponsible. I still wouldn’t recommend prosecution. The justice system is too over-worked already to start taking on every case of stupidity. And I don’t see how the prosecution furthers the interest of justice. I wouldn’t recommend prosecuting him either. I’m just pissed off at anyone saying this was some unforeseeable, unavoidable, Act of God accident. It very clearly wasn’t. Look, I’ve had my own share of “I just turned away for a second” close calls with my own kids. But there are some things I’d never, ever do. I’d never walk away while they’re in a pool, I’d never leave guns & ammo on the kitchen table, I’d never play blind-mans-bluff with them with the chainsaw. And what that guy did was in that category. ---
**Author:** ![Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambihelical_Hexnut)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/84 "2012-04-12T15:38:27Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > … A dead man switch isn’t terribly practical, since you need both hands to load branches. Couldn’t the dead man’s switch be a foot pedal? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/85 "2012-04-12T15:44:11Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I wouldn’t recommend prosecuting him either. I’m just pissed off at anyone saying this was some unforeseeable, unavoidable, Act of God accident. It very clearly wasn’t. I’m not arguing with you on this. I just didn’t have any facts to go on. I didn’t want to read the article, and my first post about the one-armed guy was a defense mechanism to keep from thinking about the tragedy of indirect Darwinism. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/86 "2012-04-13T03:15:48Z")
I’ve read about it happening multiple times, IRC it happens about once or twice a year. One guy brought his 16 years old son to a job site and told him repeatedly not to operate the chipper; just stack the branches nearby for the adults to feed in. As soon as his dad was away he started feeding them anyway, and wound up chipping himself, or the top half of himself anyway. You’re supposed to stand to the side. What can happen if you stand in back is you feed a log in, a large branch to the side that was behind you catches you and pushes you in. In one case, there actually was a safety bar to disengage the blades but it when it was pushed it didn’t work. One proposal is RFID tags, the workers would carrry them in their pockets and the machine would stop if one got close to the blades. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/87 "2012-04-13T03:23:49Z")
the foot pedal dead man’s switch seems to be easy and straightforward, why not? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/88 "2012-04-13T03:29:47Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > the foot pedal dead man’s switch seems to be easy and straightforward, why not? an operator would have to step away to get new material to feed, they would also have to step away as it fed in. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/89 "2012-04-13T03:31:05Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > the foot pedal dead man’s switch seems to be easy and straightforward, why not? Because the machine has to come to a hard stop everytime someone steps off, which will slow things down considerably, and users will end up putting a log on the switch to keep the machine running, trip over it, and fall into the chipper. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/90 "2012-04-13T05:45:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Because the machine has to come to a hard stop everytime someone steps off, which will slow things down considerably, and users will end up putting a log on the switch to keep the machine running, trip over it, and fall into the chipper. ISTM that the machine wouldn’t have to be stopped completely, just disconnect the feed mechanism. I’m far from a heavy machinery expert, though, so maybe there’s something I’m not seeing. When I’ve helped with wood chipping there’s usually been someone standing at the mouth of the chute to help corral stray branches that get hung up on the edges - it’d be pretty easy for that person to be standing on a deadman switch. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/91 "2012-04-13T06:56:32Z")
> [@Mdcastleman](#): > > …As soon as his dad was away he started feeding them anyway, and wound up chipping himself, or the top half of himself anyway. That’s the _worst_ half! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/92 "2012-04-13T13:40:28Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > ISTM that the machine wouldn’t have to be stopped completely, just disconnect the feed mechanism. I’m far from a heavy machinery expert, though, so maybe there’s something I’m not seeing. When I’ve helped with wood chipping there’s usually been someone standing at the mouth of the chute to help corral stray branches that get hung up on the edges - it’d be pretty easy for that person to be standing on a deadman switch. I’m sure something could be done. But it could just as easily be over-ridden. I don’t how all the different feed mechanisms work, but some of them use the chipping rolllers to provide the feed action, so a pretty strong stop is needed. The number of accidents involving wood chippers may not be all that high, and probably concentrates around people who are pretty stupid. The thing you mention, a two man operation is probably the best safety factor as long as there’s a big red shut off switch somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/93 "2012-04-13T13:53:46Z")
It seems like something as simple as a conveyor belt would make them a lot safer, so that material is placed on the conveyor so that an operator doesn’t need to get anywhere near the inlet. There would be added cost, but it seems worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/94 "2012-04-13T14:09:28Z")
Couldn’t a person just end up falling onto the conveyor belt instead? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/95 "2012-04-13T14:25:46Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Couldn’t a person just end up falling onto the conveyor belt instead? Yes, but falling onto (a not too quickly moving) conveyor would be better than being pulled into a cutter. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/96 "2012-04-13T14:36:38Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Couldn’t a person just end up falling onto the conveyor belt instead? > [@sparky\_1](#): > > Yes, but falling onto (a not too quickly moving) conveyor would be better than being pulled into a cutter. But then you risk getting airborne and flying into the chipper. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/97 "2012-04-13T14:41:22Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > But then you risk getting airborne and flying into the chipper. Haha. Took me a second, but good one! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/98 "2012-04-13T14:49:19Z")
Put the conveyor belt on a treadmill! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/99 "2012-04-13T15:47:19Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Yes, but falling onto (a not too quickly moving) conveyor would be better than being pulled into a cutter. Maybe, although I think that means the material would have to find its own way into the chipper mouth (as opposed to being pushed directly into the right position for take-up) - which means snarl-ups at the mouth end of the conveyor, which means… people climbing inside to unjam it all, which won’t end well… And to provide a decent length of separation between feed and crunch, the overall size of the device is going to grow - to the extent that maybe it’s no longer practical to tow it behind a van. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409/100 "2012-04-13T16:00:58Z")
it should be fitted with AI and senses so that it"ll know when to stop, and at the same time its mobility could be upgraded so workers don’t have to go to it - it’ll go to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-knew-wood-chippers-were-this-dangerous/618409.md?page=6)