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Teen pulled into wood chipper dies, owner has heart attack

On Behalf of | Dec 16, 2015 | Firm News, Workplace Accidents

Working with heavy machinery is very dangerous for construction teams, and new workers have to be fully informed of those dangers. If you work with machines that chop, blend or shred, then it’s important to know how to turn it off, reverse the blades and top jams safely. If you’re hurt because safety regulations aren’t followed, then your attorney may advise you to seek compensation from your workplace.

A story out of North Carolina draws attention to the dangers of working in construction. According to the news release from Dec. 9, a teenager had just started his first day of work when he was pulled into a wood chipper and killed.

The 19-year-old man was in charge of placing tree limbs into the wood chipper at a job site. Not long after he began working, other workers heard the machine sound different. Thinking it had jammed, they went to see what was wrong.

It was discovered that the teen had tried to kick a jammed branch into the machine when he was pulled into the machine himself. The business owner on site hit the kill switch and placed the machine in reverse, but he was too late. The teen was pulled into the machine.

As the emergency unfolded, other workers were allegedly in shock following the incident, and the owner was so panicked that he suffered a heart attack at the scene. He was rushed to the hospital.

As of the moment, the police on scene ruled that the incident was accidental and don’t suspect any wrongdoing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the accident to determine if any safety violations were the fault of the company.

Source: ABC 13, “N.C. Teen Falls Into Wood Chipper, Dies During First Day of Work,” Dec. 09, 2015

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