A man died yesterday morning in a work-related accident. Martin Lara, a tree trimmer, got entangled by a rope that was in some branches that were thrown into a wood chipper.

The full story is here.

Lara’s company, Bushwackers, had been hired to clear brush from a rural home outside of Nevada City when the line became wrapped around the professional landscaper’s neck.

The rope was attached to some wood and was dragged by the chipper, beheading him, CBS Sacramento reported.

His body was pulled towards the cone of the wood chipper, but a colleague stopped the machine before his body was dragged inside the rotors.

Here’s is an interesting reader comment:

As a supervisor in a tree service, I would like to know why the rope was still in the brush he chipping?! Before ANY chipping is done my guys must remove any ropes or tools or anything that might make the job more hazardous! There are enough dangers in this job, use your head and eliminate as many of those as possible!

—troy b, grand island, NE. USA, 13/1/2012 18:59

We don’t know what was going through Mr. Lara’s head. Was he rushing to get the job done fast? Was he distracted or frustrated thinking about something else? Was he complacent because he had done similar jobs a thousand times? Was he fatigued from the hard labor involved?

If you were a failure analyst or safety specialist, how would you approach the problem? How would you run your investigation? What questions would you ask the crew? What would you look for in company safety records?

If you drive a small car in a winter climate, here are some items to consider having in your winter preparedness/survival car kit. This assumes, of course, that you have a working spare tire and a car jack.

Personal Warmth and Traction

Extra Clothing Items

• Dry Set of Clothing: I tend to stash old clothes—that I wouldn’t wear any more when I’m stylin’ around Idaho impressing the potato farmers—in a shoulder bag in the trunk.
  
• Scarf, Balaclava, or Winter Cap: A bare head like mine loses a lot of heat in subzero temperatures.
• Thermal Undergarments
• Thermal Socks
• Extra Coat and Gloves: It’s warm in the car, so just in case you were to neglect your coat while walking between your car and the grocery store you still have one on hand if that quick trip turns nasty.

Consider: You Might Be Out There Awhile

• Datrex 3600: Vacuum sealed emergency rations like Datrex would be good to have in case you are in the middle of nowhere and it will be awhile until help arrives or you can extricate yourself. Datrex rations are supposed to avoid inducing thirst.
• Other High-Energy Snacks: Snickers and trail mix are my preferences.

Consider: You Might Have to Walk

• Snow Trax/STABILicers/GripOns: If you put them on right, they will dramatically improve your traction, making you less vulnerable to slips, trips, and falls. There’s no need to add a broken or sprained ankle, hip, or wrist to your already bad day.

Consider: You Might Have to Dig

• Small Metal Shovel: I recommend a flat end for ice-breaking.

Consider: You Might Get a Boo-Boo

• First Aid Kit: Include bandages, antibiotic ointment, and a pain reliever of choice. Minor cuts, scrapes, and muscle soreness are covered. You can get fancy if you want, but addressing breaks and sprains out of a first aid kit would be tough under the best of circumstances.

Consider: You Might Break Down in a Bad Area

• Self-Defense Tool of Choice: Whether a gun, knife, pepper spray, or flashlight, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Automotive Care and Feeding

• Extra Set of Lugnuts: A complete set of extra lugnuts would be useful if you happened to lose your entire hubcap full of lugnuts in the snow while changing your tire.
• Quart of Oil
• Z-Chain: For small vehicles with low clearances in the tire well, Z-Chain is designed to provide extra traction like traditional tire chains. No chain tensioners or other gear is required. Everything comes in the bag.
• Cell Phone Car Charger: When you’re stuck on the road, Murphy’s Law dictates that you will have forgotten to charge your phone. Keeping a charger for your model cell phone would be good for such situations.
• Flashlight: Can be used for signalling or for inspecting problems.

Other Items to Consider

• Automotive Fuses: I did not include this item on the list above because, in all my years of driving, I have never had a fuse fail on a car built after 1990 unless someone has messed with the electrical system. Of course, if these two assumptions do not apply to you, it would be prudent to include some automotive fuses in your kit.
• Sand or Salt: I did not include these because we are considering a small vehicle and they are bulky. Yet, if you can fit them, it would be beneficial if you get stuck.
• Antifreeze, Brake Fluid, Power Steering Fluid, Transmission Fluid, etc.: A complete backup for all automotive fluids would be very space intensive. I have needed these fluids on an emergency basis so seldom, that I have not included them. However, if your situation is different (and you have the space), consider keeping one or all of these fluids on hand.
• Extra Boots: Again, we’re trying to keep space to a minimum.
• Spare Belts: This would be great for a Sunday breakdown, but know what tools you’ll need to replace your belt and keep those as well.

Final Note: Practice Those Skills

Do you know how to make minor repairs? Have you actually put those chains on your tires so you KNOW they fit? Do your loved ones have these items and know these skills?

Quoted in What Went Wrong?, Chapter 12:

I deplore the phrase “Near Miss”, because it has such happy-go-lucky connotations. A near miss is an accident that, solely by chance, did not happen. Near Hit is better… For every 400 near-hits, there is a fatal or serious injury. Railways must find a way of capturing this information, and turning it into part of the learning process. If you cover up a near hit (which is so easy) the elephant trap stays in place waiting for next time.

—Neil Howard

Here is an interesting safety case study from What Went Wrong? by Trevor Kletz:

A member of a cleaning crew decided to recover a rope, which was half inside a vessel and was caught up on something inside. While kneeling down, trying to disentangle the rope, he was overcome by nitrogen. Afterward he admitted that if necessary, he would have entered the vessel.

This example is under the heading “Ignorance of the Dangers.” Are there any other problems in this scenario?