Indiana Accident News

Fatal Indiana Wood Chipper Accident Reveals Serious IOSHA Safety Violations

Tree Core, a New Carlisle business with other worker injuries in the past, is now facing large safety violation fines following a fatal wood chipper accident in September 2009. After investigating the deadly worker incident, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found the owner of the company at fault for several safety hazards.

Authorities say that 37-year-old James Vician was working on site in Kosciusko County when he was pulled into the industrial wood chipper. Kosciusko County police say that the man’s coworker, Brian Whitaker, was at the site but did not see the accident. When he returned to the wood chipper to find Vician gone, he discovered that the accident had happened when he looked at the debris in the truck. The Atwood Fire Department and Multi-Township EMS responded to the on-thw-job accident.

The IOSHA has doled out $72,000 in fines to Tree Core. Their investigation revealed that the workers had jammed the wood chipper’s speed adjuster to feed above maximum speed at all times. The workers also held back the wood chipper’s emergency stop arm with a strap. Sean Keefer, Deputy Commissioner for Indiana’s OSHA said that not only did the owner of the company have full knowledge of the safety problems – but that it had been going on for a long time.

Vician’s wife Tricia says that no one will ever know what really caused the worker accident. Tree Core had another deadly accident in 2001.

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