Woodchipper safety

Background

Woodchippers are dangerous plant that are used to grab branches and pull them through sharpened steel blades.

There are different types of woodchippers used in the Victorian tree industry. There are several types of in-feed rollers that are used in industrial woodchippers that can have horizontal or vertical configurations.

The design of woodchippers can vary, but they all use the same principle of a rotating disc or drum which is fitted with hardened steel blades to chip the wood.

Operating woodchippers can be hazardous and presents health and safety risks to employees.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) requires employers to, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.

Employers must eliminate, or if not possible, reduce the risk of injury to employees.

The following list outlines some common woodchipper risks that can be fatal or cause serious injuries to employees operating a woodchipper.

Woodchipper operators may be:

• drawn into the woodchipper from in-feed rollers
• in contact with the blades
• entangled in the branches or attached ropes and drawn into the woodchipper
• struck by ejected material
• struck by in-feeding branches, limbs, or logs
• struck by kicking wood
• crushed
• exposed to excessive noise from the woodchipper
• exposed to wood dust from the woodchipper
• struck by a passing vehicle when the woodchipper is parked on the road
• exposed to hazardous manual handling.

This guidance is adapted for Victorian employers and employees from SafeWork NSW’s Woodchipper guide.

Plant Selection

This guidance is related to the operation of a trailer-mounted hand-fed woodchipper, fitted with in- feed rollers and with the ability to mulch 150 mm or larger logs.

Before using a trailer-mounted hand-fed woodchipper, the employer needs to ensure that a trailer-mounted hand-fed woodchipper is the most suitable plant for the task. For example, a machine fed chipper may be more suitable for larger jobs to better control hazardous manual handling risks. 

While some risk controls covered in this guidance may be applicable for machine fed chippers and those fitted with infeed conveyors that do not require hand feeding, this guidance does not cover all aspects of using a machine to feed a woodchipper as risk controls such as the fitting of bump bars would not be applicable to these woodchippers. Machine fed woodchippers should instead be built with higher sides that comply with other standards such as AS4024.1801 Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by upper and lower limbs to prevent access and which can reduce the risk of the operator being drawn into the woodchipper.

A smaller portable woodchipper may be more suitable for smaller jobs. These have restricted chutes without infeed rollers and may further prevent access to danger areas.

Where an employer does not have the most suitable type of woodchipper for the job, a more suitable woodchipper should be hired or the job sub-contracted out so the most suitable plant is used to complete the job.

Woodchipper safeguards

Compliance code: Plant defines guarding as a physical or other barrier that can perform several functions including:

• preventing contact with moving parts or controlling access to dangerous areas of plant
• screening harmful emissions such as radiation
• reducing noise through the application of sound-absorbing materials, and
• preventing ejected parts or off-cuts from striking people.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) require the employer or self-employed person to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that guarding designed for that purpose will prevent access to the danger area of the plant (r99 (2)).

Rotating in-feed rollers and the cutting disc or drum are the most hazardous components of woodchippers.

The in-feed rollers and cutting disc are shown in Figure 1. These components may cause fatal or serious injuries to woodchipper operators if they reach into the woodchipper past the safety curtain or control bar.

Reduce access to the cutting disc and in-feed rollers from the side or top of the unit by using fixed or interlocked guards or covers. Access to these danger areas should only be allowed when the area does not present a risk to health and safety. 

Guarding of the cutting disc

Employers should ensure that access to the cutting disc or drum is prevented by interlocked physical barriers. This may include fitting an electronic interlocked system to the guarding. For example, a timed solenoid that ensures that the guard cannot be removed until the woodchipper comes to a complete stop.

If it is not reasonably practicable to use interlocked guarding, then bolts or screws that can only be removed by the use of tools can be used to secure the guard in place. 

The time taken to remove the bolts or screws should be longer than the time taken for the disc or drum to come to a complete stop (run down time), after the power has been isolated. 

The time taken for the disc or drum to come to a complete stop can be up to 5 minutes if it is an un-clutched system, so the use of only simple clips to secure the guards will not be suitable in this case.

Drop-down table

The drop-down table is fitted to the in-feed area of the woodchipper. This provides a barrier between the operators and the in-feed rollers. 

Drop-down tables fitted with side panels or guards, limits side movement of the woodchipper and kicking or roll-over of any wood being processed. This feature can help to protect the operators. 

Reduce access to the in-feed rollers. For example, by ensuring:

• the design of the in-feed hopper or chute includes minimum-reach distance guarding (1500 mm is recommended) from the leading edge of the feed hopper to the in-feed rollers
• the side panels of the in-feed chute are of sufficient height to prevent a person reaching the in-feed rollers
• a drop-down table is fitted to the edge of the feed chute to extend the distance to the in-feed rollers to 1500 mm.

Side barriers should be fitted to comply with relevant standards to prevent a person from being able to reach danger areas.  Refer to AS/NZS 4024.1801— Safety of machinery, Part 1801: Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by the upper limbs.

Safety curtain

Woodchippers may have a rubber safety curtain fitted to the front of the in-feed chute. They can be made of reinforced rubber strips that span the opening of the chute.

The safety curtain may reduce the wood chips being thrown out of the woodchipper and hitting nearby operators. The curtain is also a warning to keep hands away from the in-feed chute.

It is critical that the woodchipper operator should be able to stop the woodchipper before this point has been reached and/or before it is breached by the feeder.

If the woodchipper has been fitted with a safety curtain, the curtain needs to be maintained and replaced when cut or damaged.

In-feed stop control

For extra protection, consider retrofitting existing woodchippers with an in-feed stop control device also known as a push bar or bump bar, along the leading edge of the in-feed chute. This device is designed to stop the in-feed rollers when body pressure pushes against the bump bar.

The design, position and function of the bump bar allows the operator to stop the in-feed action into the woodchipper if caught by in-feeding branches. 

The operator is able to activate the bump bar by using parts of their body rather than just their hands. 

For further information about retrofitting a bump bar to your woodchipper, contact the supplier, manufacturer or a third party installer.

Bump bars should be the standard red colour — in contrast to the background colour of the woodchipper. Bump bars should be yellow on red coloured woodchippers

On woodchippers where the design height of the bottom leading edge of the in-feed chute in the operational position on level ground is 600mm or more above ground, ensure that a bump bar is installed, along the bottom leading edge of the in-feed chute (see Figure 2).

On woodchippers where the design height of the bottom leading edge of the in-feed chute is more than 600 mm above ground and low tray sides, the bump bar should profile the bottom and the top sides of the tray (see Figure 3).

For woodchippers with an in-feed chute that is less than 600 mm above the ground, the bump bar should be located at the sides and upper edge of the chute and be accessible from any point behind the in-feed chute (see figure 4). If the woodchipper has a drop down feed tray, the bump bar should profile the tray.

Any switches used to detect the position of the bump bar should fail to a safe state so that the chipper will not operate unless the bump bar is fitted in place. This includes ensuring that:

• switches must be ON to actively detect that the bump bar is in the correct safe position and if the bar moves from that position or is removed entirely, then the chipper will not operate
• spring loaded mechanical switches are avoided as they can fail due to age and water and dirt entering , which can seize the switch mechanism into an unsafe state —  if used, they MUST fail safe
• mechanical lever type switches are not used.

Presence-sensing safeguard system

An additional risk control measure may include a presence-sensing safeguarding system that detects if a person or any part of a person is in the danger area.

These types of safeguards include woodchipper vision with artificial intelligence systems, or magnetic sensors that can be worn by operators and/or placed on operating equipment that detects the presence of a person in the danger area near the feed rollers of the woodchipper. 

If using magnetic sensor devices, then employers must have systems of work to ensure these devices are worn if they are used as a method to control risk.

Presence-sensing safeguard systems are incorporated into the design of some models of woodchippers or can be fitted post-manufacture, however, they cannot replace physical guards or other safety devices such as a bump bar. 

Presence-sensing safeguard systems that require the wearing of additional detection systems, such as detectable gloves, are not as reliable as systems that do not require this, as they are reliant on supervision which is an administrative control to ensure that the devices are worn without fail.

Employers should consider installing of a presence-sensing safeguard system when doing a risk assessment on a task involving the use of a woodchipper.

Last chance stops

Last chance stops will stop the in-feed rollers of the woodchipper when pulled. Some woodchippers might have these straps or ropes fitted inside the feed chute as a last resort.

Last chance stops may not be an effective option on their own as they require the operator to physically pull a rope. If the operator is entangled their hands or arms might not be free to activate them.

Winches and cranes

Some woodchippers are fitted with devices to assist the feeding of the machine such as a winch or crane that can pull logs up to the woodchipper and can assist with the wood chipping process and prevent hazardous manual handling.

Winches should not be fitted with steel wire rope or other metal components such as chokers and hooks. Spliced ends and soft shackles minimise the danger should a winch line fail or get entangled in the feed drum.

Winches should be fitted with an interlock device to ensure that the winch line is correctly stowed before the feed drums can be continuously operated.

Ensure that processes are in place to ensure that no person is holding the rope when it is being tensioned to prevent fingers being pinched or in the line of fire when a winch rope is under tension.

Operators must be competent to operate these devices, and where available, should have specific training for these devices.

Cranes must not be able to lift a load over the operator and must be maintained in accordance with Australian Standards (Vehicle Loading Cranes).

Drive systems

Rotating powered take-off (PTO) shafts and drive belts — that transmit the drive power from the woodchipper’s motor to the chipping drum or disc — are hazardous due to the rotating parts and in-running nip points.

Reduce the risk of employees being entangled by ensuring that PTO guards are fitted, in good condition, rotate freely and the guards are secured to prevent rotation whilst in use.

Reduce access to the drive belts by using fixed or interlocked guards or covers over the drive belts.

Operator control devices

Operator controls must be suitably identified to indicate their nature and function. For example, an operator control bar is an operational control used to set the rotation of the in-feed rollers from forward to reverse. An operator control bar should not be relied on as a substitute emergency stop device. 

Ensure any manufacturer warning labels about the potential hazards of the woodchipper are visible, easy to ready and well maintained.

An emergency stop device should be fitted. This device should immediately stop the in-feed rollers and cut the power to the cutting disc or drum, which will typically have a run-down time.

An employer or self-employed person must ensure that the plant is able to be locked into the Off position to ensure the disconnection of all motive power.

An emergency stop devices should remove all motive power to the woodchipper, unless it introduces new risk. It may be preferable for woodchippers that are hydraulically operated to only remove power to the cutting disc or drum — as long as the only motive action of the infeed rollers is to put them into reverse. 

In the case where the emergency stop/s near the feed of the woodchipper do not immediately stop the power supply to the hydraulic system to enable efficient evacuation, additional emergency stop/s should be provided to immediately stop any other system, such as an engine or hydraulics, should they also becomes hazardous.

The emergency stop devices must be prominent. It should be clearly and durably marked. It should be immediately accessible to each operator of the woodchipper. 

Any handle, bar or push button on the emergency stop device must be coloured red and its function must not be impacted by electrical or electronic circuit malfunction.

The operator control bar (Figure 6) is used to set the rotation of the in-feed rollers from feed to reverse. The operating positions should be clearly identified, showing each function: on a 4 stage bar — reverse, neutral/stop, feed, and reverse.

Alternative controls may be fitted — they must be suitably identified and readily accessible.

Remote controls should only be used to operate functions where verification of the safety of the machine is not required, such as adjusting the chute position, stopping or adjusting speed of the woodchipper. Remote controls cannot be used to start or reset the woodchipper as remotes could allow the woodchipper to be started without ensuring that the woodchipper is not posing a danger to a person. 

Work site set-up

Make sure your work site is set up safely and that employees operating woodchippers are consulted on the hazards and risks that can affect their health and safety on the site. 

Make sure employees have been trained in the use of the woodchipper being operated.

When you set up the woodchipper, ensure there is enough clearance between the woodchipper and any working area (climbing, pruning or drop zone) to remove the risk of entanglement with climbing or lowering ropes, or being struck by falling material, including material that may bounce. 

Park the woodchipper off the road wherever possible. If this cannot be done, ensure appropriate traffic management is in place.

Traffic management protects employees, motorists, and pedestrians. It can include an appropriate combination of physical protection such as concrete or water filled barriers, truck mounted attenuator, warning signs, traffic cones or bollards, flashing amber lights, to delineate the work site.

Employees controlling traffic should be appropriately trained and wear high visibility (hi-vis) clothing.

Set up an exclusion zone around the woodchipper and the work area that is to be closed off to the public. Put up signs and barricades to identify the exclusion zone if required.

Ensure that each vehicle and the work crew has a way to communicate with either the depot or emergency services. Any telecommunications black spots should be identified and an appropriate way to communicate in case of an emergency should be made available. This could include satellite phones, two-way radios (also known as walkie talkies) or personal locator beacons. Work in black spots where an ability to alert work crews of emergency and incidents could be restricted should be avoided on days of Total Fir Ban unless communications can be assured.

Operating a woodchipper should be avoided wherever possible on Total Fire Ban days. If the work is essential, ensure that fire suppression equipment such as a water (stored pressure) fire extinguisher, in working order, fully charged with water and maintained at the correct pressure, with a capacity of not less than 9 litres is fitted to the woodchipper.

Operator roles

Woodchippers should be operated by 2 employees to ensure ready access to the emergency stop button or other emergency control devices.

The 2 operators are:

• the nominated woodchipper operator (NWCO) – a feeder, and
• the second operator – also a feeder. 

Woodchipper operators should not be able to come close to the in-feed rollers at any time.

If an operator comes close to the front of the drop down table or in-feed chute while the woodchipper is in operation, the NWCO should be able to stop the rollers before this point has been reached or before it is breached by an operator.

Nominated woodchipper operator (NWCO)

There should be an NWCO that is competent in the safe operation of the woodchipper and set up of the work site. Set up of the work site includes:

• site hazard identification and hazard control
• ensuring the relevant procedures are followed
• setting up public exclusion zones if required
• setting up the woodchipper’s danger zone
• use of the woodchipper and ensuring no foreign debris enters the danger zone
• ensuring the woodchipper is not left unattended while in operation
• ensuring the woodchipper is shut down and cannot be used during normal work breaks
• site clean-up and equipment pack up
• leaving the site after the work is completed.

The NWCO should always remain close, within 1 m to the operator control device and the bump bar during the woodchipper’s operation. 

Operators can become entangled while standing beside or in front of the in-feed chute, or while they are feeding material into the woodchipper.

If ropes, clothing, or gloves are caught on a branch being fed into the woodchipper, the operator can be dragged into the danger zone, past the safety curtain (if fitted), and the in-feed rollers onto the cutting blades.

Ensure operating teams have at least 2 employees who are competent in the use of a woodchipper and have received specific training on the individual woodchipper being used.

One operator should oversee the operator control device and the other feed the branches into the woodchipper.

Danger zone

The danger zone extends out from the in-feed rollers (Figure 7). It incorporates the woodchipper’s feed chute and area of the drop-down table. The danger zone stops at the outer edge of the drop-down table and the bump bar.

Feed area

The following risks should be considered when doing risk assessments and writing operation or work procedures.

Operators outside the danger zone may still be at risk if ropes become entangled.

The shape of the feed chute extends the feed area (Figure 7). The feed area extends over the danger zone.

Feeding branches and brush into the chute of the woodchipper should be done from the side of the drop-down table and not from the front of the drop-down table.

Wood can be thrown back and may kick sideways. The NWCO should ensure other operators are outside the line of the feed area. If the wood kicks sideways or rolls, it should only go as far as the side panel of the drop-down table allows.

The NWCO must stop the infeed of the woodchipper if the feed area is breached by an operator at any time. They must then ensure the operator has moved safely outside the feed area before the woodchipper is re-started.

Clearing blockages

An employer or self-employed person must ensure that the plant is isolated before attempting to unblock a woodchipper. Do not attempt to unblock the in-feed chute when the woodchipper is running. 

The NWCO should:

1. stop the woodchipper
2. allow clearing of blockages
3. move to a safe distance out of the danger zone and
4. restart the woodchipper. 

To stop the woodchipper safely, operators should:

1. stop the wood chipping function
2. remove the key from the lock of the woodchipper to ensure isolation of all energy sources
3. place the key in a lock box and each person clearing the blockage the woodchipper must apply a personal lock and tag to ensure the woodchipper cannot be restarted whilst the woodchipper is being cleared
4. ensure a plant isolation process is carried out as per manufacturer’s instructions, which may include the need to place appropriate chocks or retaining devices to hold open guards
5. test the isolation by ensuring the woodchipper cannot be restarted and that all moving parts have stopped spinning before attempting to remove blockages.

Pre-start checks

Employers should ensure that there is an established pre-start process as a part of their system of work for assessing that the following OHS measures are in place. Recording this assessment in the form of a checklist that operators can also use, for example, can support employers to ensure compliance with their OHS obligations.

Employers need to ensure:

• guards for all dangerous parts , for example,  cutting discs, drive shafts, belts and pulleys are in place, secure and undamaged
• emergency stops, bump bar, other safety devices and control bar are functioning properly
• equipment has been set up correctly and systems are performing accurately
• operator controls on the woodchipper are clearly labelled to indicate their nature and function on the individual woodchipper being used (NWCO and feeder)
• the material to be chipped is free from metal, stones, plastic, rope and other forms of contamination that could damage and affect the safe operation of the woodchipper
• that there are sufficient push sticks, at least 1.5 m long, or a plastic rake to feed smaller material into the chipper available for use by employees
• there is a reliable means to communicate with emergency services, especially in telecommunications black spots.

Employers should ensure that:

• ropes that form part of the winch, are suitable for the work and are well maintained
• the ropes are checked daily and on a regular basis during use to ensure that they are fit for use
• the ropes that form part of the winch, do not make contact with the in-feed rollers
• there are sufficient employees available to operate the woodchipper (See Operator roles) and that employees have received appropriate training and are competent to operate the woodchipper and any attachments including winches. 

Operational controls

Make sure the woodchipper is always attended while in operation. The NWCO should be in a position where the operator control device can be readily activated.

Never operate the woodchipper if there are members of the public in the exclusion zone.

When the woodchipper is being operated, employers should ensure that operators follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Feed branches into the woodchipper off the centre line, butt first and release the material when it is gripped by the in-feed rollers. Do not feed wood into the woodchipper larger than the manufacturer’s specifications.

Use a push-stick, at least 1.5 m long, to feed shorter material into the woodchipper. Plastic rakes or leafy branches can be used to push smaller branches and litter into the chipper.

Where reasonably practicable, the operator should feed the branches into the woodchipper from the kerb side of the chipper to ensure they are safely away from the flow of traffic.

Do not try to retrieve any winch ropes or wood while the woodchipper is in operation – alert the NWCO to stop the woodchipper to retrieve the item or reverse the woodchipper to retrieve the item.

Never put your arms or legs past the in-feed edge of the drop down table. The NWCO should stop the woodchipper if employees are close to the drop down table and inside the danger zone. They should instruct the employee to move to a safer distance out of the danger zone or use a push stick from the side.

Wood dust health issues

Employees being exposed to wood dust have been associated with health issues due to the natural chemicals in wood or substances in the wood, such as bacteria, moulds, or fungi.

Wood dust is considered carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC states that wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity (nose area) and paranasal sinuses (spaces in and around the nasal cavity) and of the nasopharynx, which is the upper part of the throat, behind the nose.

Wood dust is also associated with toxic effects, including irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, dermatitis. Wood dust can damage the respiratory system, causing related health issues, including decreased lung capacity and allergic reactions.

Hardwoods generally produce more dust than softwoods when worked in similar conditions. 

Controls for wood dust exposure

Wood dust may be generated around the discharge chute or in the feed area when processing the wood. The current wood dust workplace exposure standard as per Safe Work Australia is 1 mg per cubic metre for hardwood and 5 mg per cubic metre for softwood.

The following control measures may be used for managing the inhalable wood dust associated with woodchipper operation:

• Substitute with another type woodchipper fitted with an enclosed cab where exposure standards may be reached.
• Use a woodchipper that is appropriately designed with extraction systems.
• Practice good housekeeping.
• Keep surfaces and floors clear.
• Use cleaning methods that reduce re-introducing the dust into the air. Use wet clean-up methods. For example, wipe surfaces with a wet rag or mop or use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
• Wear respiratory protection when appropriate (refer to Personal protective equipment section)
• Use protective clothing and gloves to reduce skin exposure (Refer to Personal protective equipment section)

Noise health issues

Occupational noise can have temporary and permanent effects. 

Noise can affect the nerve cells in your inner ear, causing a temporary reduction in hearing. Noise can cause a sensation of ringing or buzzing, known as tinnitus, in your ear. Most temporary hearing loss recovers in 24 hours under quiet conditions. 

Repeated exposure to loud noise over time may cause permanent hearing loss. This is called noise-induced hearing loss, and it usually happens over many years. Noise-induced hearing loss reduces a person’s ability to hear high pitched sounds. How much hearing loss a person has depends on the noise level, the length of time they are exposed to it, and their susceptibility to noise. Noise-induced hearing loss can also come from sudden loud noises, like explosions, gun shots or heavy hammering. If the noise is loud enough the damage can be immediate. Noise-induced hearing loss can't be repaired.

Controls for occupational noise

Under the OHS Regulations, an employer must ensure that no employee at the workplace is exposed to noise greater than the noise exposure standard, which is a time weighted average (TWA) of 85 dB(A) for 8 hours, or to any instantaneous noise in excess of 140 dB(C).

The following are control measures which can help to reduce noise when using a woodchipper:

• Substitute the woodchipper with another type which generates less noise.
• Rotate employees between noisy and quiet jobs.
• Restrict access to noisy areas.
• Wear hearing protective devices, for example, ear plugs or earmuffs.

Information, instruction, training or supervision

Employers have a duty under the OHS Act to eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, you must reduce those risks, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes an employer providing such information, instruction, training or supervision as is necessary to enable their employees to work safely.

Employees are entitled to:

• work in a safe workplace
• receive such information, instruction, training, or supervision as is necessary to enable them to work safely.

Operators should have formal recognised training — such as Operate a mobile chipper/mulcher FWPHAR2208, or an equivalent course— by a registered training organisation, before operating a chipper, including the winch.

Specific plant training instruction should be provided for each of the various types of woodchippers used at the workplace to ensure that the operator is competent to operate the specific woodchipper used at the plant. This may be provided by the manufacturer or a competent person.

Training and instruction should be recorded, as well as any refresher training provided.

Employers should document any policies, procedures, training, instruction or supervision and site evaluations before work begins. This includes documenting:

• hazards associated with the particular woodchipper
• safety features and their use
• pre start checks
• operation – including starting, feeding, shutting down and winch usage
• process for cleaning blockages
• emergency procedures, including means of communication
• maintenance
• transport, including loading and unloading
• points covered in this guide
• personal protective equipment requirements
• testing of the bump bar, operator control device, interlocks, presence-sensing safeguards and recording the test results.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Employers should provide appropriate PPE to employees such as:

• eye protection
• hearing protection
• safety helmets
• half face respirator with particulate filters
• safety boots
• gloves
• hi-vis clothing. 

Employers must:

• ensure that employees wear PPE when operating the woodchipper
• ensure that employees likely to be exposed to an identified risk associated with operating a woodchipper are trained in the correct fitting, use and storage of PPE (reg 122). 

Employers should: 

• keep a record of training provided to employees
• ensure PPE is stored correctly, well maintained and is in good working order
• ensure that PPE is replaced if damaged, lost or worn out.

To reduce the risk of entanglement, employers should ensure that employees operating the woodchipper:

• wear close-fitting clothing without loose cuffs, straps or strings
• gloves that are single-stitched and have long close-fitting cuffs that can be tucked into the sleeves
• do not wear rings, watches, necklaces, or other jewellery.

Employers should also have a sun protection policy in place. Make sure appropriate sun protection is provided and used by all employees such as sunscreen, sunglasses, hats with legionnaires flap and long sleeved shirts.

Maintenance

Under the OHS Act, Section 21(2)(a), an employer must provide or maintain plant or systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health.

Under OHS Regulation 105, an employer or self-employed person must ensure that plant is inspected to the extent necessary to ensure that any risk associated with the use of the plant is monitored; and steps are taken to prevent alterations to the plant that have not been permitted by the employer or self-employed person, or interference with the plant.

All woodchippers require access to the cutting disc or drum for maintenance, operation, and cleaning purposes.

Opening the access hatch or cover can allow the operator to come in contact with the moving disc or drum and expose them to the risk of entanglement, cutting and being hit by ejected fragments of vegetation or cutting blades.

Before accessing the inside of a woodchipper, the controls for the chipper should be isolated and tagged out and/or the key removed to prevent unintentional operation of the unit.

The removal of the key while maintenance is being done ensures the woodchipper cannot be started while work is be carried out and can only be re-instated when the work is completed.

The cutting disc or drum should be maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications or the recommendations of a competent person, and should include pre-start, daily, weekly and monthly checks. A mechanical means of preventing the disc or drum from rotating should be used while performing maintenance operations.

A record should be kept for any inspection and maintenance carried out on the woodchipper for the period that the employer or self-employed person has management or control of the woodchipper. The maintenance or repairs should be recorded for each woodchipper.

Occupational Health and Safety essentials program

WorkSafe provides a free service for smaller organisations with less than 60 employees, who have limited occupational health and safety (OHS) information and knowledge.

An independent OHS consultant will explain the obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and provide an overview of obligations under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013.

This service includes an initial site visit to help you identify hazards and provide you with a practical action plan. The consultant will check on progress after six months, and a final visit is completed after 12 months to check on the progress against the action plan.