Asplundh tree trimmers

[RoyJackson]

Driving home from work, there were three Asplundh trucks with crews trimming back roadside trees. As they had one oncoming lane shifted over, traffic was slower then usual.
As I pulled abreast the chipper, I watched one guy (of three feeding the chipper) leaning inside the chute pushing brush toward the hammers!!!!
He was bent over and his shoulders weren't visible as I passed...

Jeez....use to be Asplundh had good safety training...guess that went by the wayside.

 

[Code54]

Every once and a while you see something like that and just hope the fellow makes it through his shift and career.....

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Not that I say it is ok. If they are using one of their small chippers good to 9-12" stuff I can understand small stuff needing a nudge to get in there. I have to do that on my little 6" Vermeer chipper when I get down to the small scrawny or fluffy stuff. Large branches no problem the feed roller pull that stuff in and stay out of the way.
Now if Safety and Industries drove by and saw that they would get a fine more than likely.. The crew boss would chew the guy out and tell him to use another branch or stick to shove the stuff forward.
Get into the large drum chippers 12-18" and there is no way I am going too far towards that feed chute. One hand on the Stop lever at all times

 

[RoyJackson]

Not that I say it is ok. If they are using one of their small chippers good to 9-12" stuff I can understand small stuff needing a nudge to get in there. I have to do that on my little 6" Vermeer chipper when I get down to the small scrawny or fluffy stuff.

I'd make up a pusher stick of some sort (using dowels rather then nails or screws) before I'd lean in there.
My Woods 5000 chute is angled between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical. Won't take more then a 5" branch, but that's fine. The chute is too small for me to be dragged in...but I'll take no chances!

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I'd make up a pusher stick of some sort (using dowels rather then nails or screws) before I'd lean in there.
My Woods 5000 chute is angled between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical. Won't take more then a 5" branch, but that's fine. The chute is too small for me to be dragged in...but I'll take no chances!

I agree Roy when out chipping I usually save a branch that is long enough and straight enough to use as a pushing stick. But once in a while it gets tossed in the chipper by someone who didn't know that I was using it as a pushing stick. The feed table on most of the chippers is horizontal so the stuff won't slide on in by itself.

 

[om21braz]

He would'nt last 10 minutes doing that on an old-type self feeding chipper, the "chunk and duck" style that is.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Makes you think of the ending of the movie Fargo!

 

[RandyT]

Im sure if Chris heard about it he would make all employees go through safety training again.

 

[dmccarty]

I used to drive by the office of a tree service company. I would pass the office twice a day going to and from work.

They lost a work one day when he got pulled into a chipper and lost his head.

Next day the company had a help wanted sign in front of the building.

Later,
Dan

 

[gauthier]

yeah,but he [they] were pros.