BACKGROUND: A track cutter operator was clearcutting a mixed stand of hardwood and pine using a feller-buncher with a high-speed disk saw head on a hot, late summer day on rolling terrain in the Appalachians.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The 22-year-old operator had worked for this employer for one year. He was working inside an enclosed cab and had operated this particular machine for only one month.
UNSAFE ACT OR CONDITION: The operator returned to the logging deck after experiencing a noticeable vibration in the sawhead for some time.
ACCIDENT: There he found a sawtooth from his machine had struck and broken the windshield on a pickup truck parked over a hill, approximately 500 feet away from the cutting area. After inspecting the sawhead, he found that two teeth were missing from the saw disk.
INJURY: There were no injuries, but it cost $420 to replace the truck windshield.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Manufacturers of sawheads recommend the following:
- Immediate shutdown and inspection if an imbalance (vibration) occurs.
- Immediate shutdown and inspection after contact with rocks or foreign material.
- A daily inspection before use.
Courtesy of the Forest Resources Association: https://www.forestresources.org/