Woodchipper safety devices

What it contains

Woodchippers and brush chippers are dangerous machines. Used to grab branches and pull them through sharpened steel blades, woodchippers' health and safety risks to employees are high. Eliminating or reducing the risk of serious injury is vital.

This document covers:

• choosing woodchippers with protection, or retrofit those without protection
• checking the safety of the machine before starting work
• preventing operator access to the cutting drum or disk
• choosing machines with appropriately sized in-feed chutes
• making sure operators can correctly identify controls on the machine
• safe work procedures
• personal protective equipment
• responsibilities to provide information, instruction, training and supervision