29/6/2018

10 Wood Chipper Safety Tips for First-Time Users

Rating & reviews (0 reviews)

Wood chippers are utilized to turn entire logs into smaller, more manageable chips. The machine is utilized to process wooden debris such as fallen branches and dead tree limbs that often pile up following undesirable weather events such as typhoons and storms. You may also use a wood chipper to get rid of overgrown trees and brush.

Implementing a wood chipper can definitely save a whole lot of time and work compared to using an axe or a chainsaw to cut each piece into smaller bits. All that power calls for a great deal of responsibility on the customer's part, however. Failure to adhere to a couple of safety guidelines can cause serious injuries and even death.

Whether you are a newcomer to wood chippers or a veteran user, it is vital that you educate yourself about the safe and proper use of a wood chipper. Listed below are a couple of safety tips.

1. Read the manual

Before anything else, you need to read and understand the operator's manual. The guide includes everything you wish to learn about the device: technical specifications, operational constraints, machine components and security directions.

A wood chipper has a lot of moving parts so it is crucial that you're knowledgeable about the significant components, its proper use and the likely risks posed by every part.

2. Wear proper clothes

Wear tight-fitting, short-sleeved clothing when working with a wood chipper. Make sure your shirt and trousers are wrapped in and remove anything that could get entangled in the gear like straps, belts, jewellery, ties and other dangling items.

Standard safety equipment when working with a wood chipper includes a hard hat, safety goggles, ear protection, heavy-duty cuffless work gloves and steel-toed boots.

3. Inspect before use

Make it a point to scrutinize each region of the wood chipper prior to use. Do not use the machine should you discover visible signs of damage such as cracks, worn hinges and destroyed hood latches.

Make sure all bolts and screws are screwed tight. Check all safety controls and devices to verify they are in proper functioning condition.

4. Clear the area

Eliminate all tripping threats and barriers around the wood chipper. Keep the region around the machine clean to ensure unobstructed and easy movement.

Do not permit the wood chips to stack too high, and switch off the machine when the heap has grown too big so that it may be removed and stored somewhere away in the chipper. This may diminish the danger of slipping and falling around the system.

5. Minimum speed first

Whenever starting a wood chipper, run it at the lowest setting first. Listen to the noises coming out of your chipper. In the event you hear strange sounds, there might be loose or broken parts inside and you want to turn the device off instantly.

6. Lighten the load

Overloading the wood chipper may raise the probability of injuries occurring, potentially injuring people and damaging the system. Simply load wood that falls within the limits of your wood chipper. If necessary, cut the wood to size prior to feeding it into the chipper.

7. Don't come too close

Don't linger near the wood chipper and immediately step away from the machine once it receives the timber that you just inserted. This reduces the odds of you becoming entangled with all the timber you fed.

8. Situational awareness

Despite the fact that you would really like to concentrate at work whilst using a wood chipper, then you will need to know about what's happening in your surroundings. Assess for any animals or people coming or when the weather has turned for the worse.

Instantly turn the device off if the problem has changed to a point where it may negatively affect safe and appropriate functioning.

9. Wood only

Verify the wood you feed to the chipper does not have any foreign objects such as glass, rock or anything else that may shoot outside or get caught in the gears.

A wood chipper works in a high power and whatever shoots is a projectile danger. Do not feed the wood chipper any non-wood item.

Tags: wood chipper / wood chippers / garden power tools