8kg at 72kph Workplace Incident.

[rapidxr6]

Kind regards to any of my so called work mates who are reading this. :
For those that don't know i work in a large softwood sawmill.
We had a 'near miss' incident today regarding an air born piece of green timber that was 3ft long, 6 inches thick on the thick end tapering down to about 4 inches and 8 inches wide which was weighed to be 8 kg. The log that it came off was NOT known to have a broken end. When the log was ran into the CME head (high speed set of chipper blades) spins at around 9500rpm the head stands 5 foot and currently has 4 blades to sqaure the face of log (normal operation sequence to long to describe) a piece of the broken end of the log(dimensions above) flung out and was thrown in excess of 40 metres, narrowly missing the roof and rafters, went over the top of a normal walkway not quite 2 metres above(head height). Just missing the observation room where visitors and bosses stand to watch the mill work. The bit of wood then smashed into a safety fence of another machine which is situated on the other side of the shed from where the piece of timber originally came from.
The poor bloke who witnessed it happen was not the operator of the machine but one of the QC's that was on his way to the office walking up the said walkway when the bit of wood came flying from the direction of the CME. He dodged and weaved watching it come towards him nearly falling over his own feet. He was very clearly shaken by the ordeal and was thankful he was not a few metres ahead of himself or he would have copped the bit of flying timber in the head. No doubt that would have killed him!! No jokes it was a lethal flying object.
After talking to him about it i asked how long he thought it took to get from point A to point B. he said not quite 2 seconds. And we figured it was around 40metres it was thrown. I wanted to work out the speed it was travelling at.
...40 metres travel in 2 seconds.
So ..1 second = 20 metres.
20metres X 60seconds=1200 metres per minute
1200metres X 60minutes=72000metres per hour
72000metres divided by 1000 metres =72KPH
So we figured it was travelling at AVERAGE 72 kph correct me if i'm wrong.
Don't forget it weighed 8kg was 3 foot long 8 inches wide and tapered from 4-6 inches thick. it didn't"spear" threw the air, it was toppling end for end, spinning.
In all he is a very lucky man that he saw it coming and his own words were "THANK GOD I SLIPPED DOWN MY ICED OVER BACK STEPS YESTERDAY MORNING AND CORKED MY RIGHT THIGH, THIS IS THE ONLY REASON I WAS WALKING SLOWER THAN NORMAL, IF NOT....I COULD'VE BEEN A DEAD MAN."

I have a photo of him holding the piece of wood on my phone camera....BUT f said...if my bosses read this i WILL be sacked. :monkes:

[XAGSV8]

Hate near misses as a small part of my job is a WHSO as well as being a manager. I am predicting about 150KPH.

[Scott]

The picture of a 3ft lump of timber going end for end across a workshop is a scary one. You should fear no repraisal in talking about it, as part of your employers responsibility to "build an ethical culture", people who openly discuss and take action on matters such as these should be championed, not vilified (sp).

Make sure you document the fact that it happened and that you document and pursue measures to rectify the occurence.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Ewwww , seen some close near misses in workplaces / and some hits !, a machine like that really ( for OHS reasons ) should have guards all around the end of the machine with a small guard covering the hole at the end ( max size of the largest wood you mill ) that doesn't open until the wood is just about to reach it / or something like that. Vg to hear no-one was injured , but your boss would of been in heaps if there was no appropriate sheilding/guard over the machine, maybe there is guards over it but it isn't enough by the sounds of it. I Don't wanna sound like i'm lecturing , but no-one should have to die at work ! , and that was close ! . Get onto ya boss to do something about it , it could of flicked out of the machine and hit you ! .
Cheers anyway ;) , nice to hear no harm was done.

[rapidxr6]

The incident was reported instantly, an investigation was launched on the matter soon after. Still the machine was never shut down all day, was kept running, it's never 'happened' to that 'magnitude' before, but who's to say it won't happen on the next log... There is some mesh gaurding in place but not a hell of a lot. There will be more mesh gaurding/fencing put in as soon as they get the materials to do so.
Seems i'm taking the digital to work tomorrow to get some sly pics i might post some....to point out just how freak of a thing it was to happen.
But the risk was always there none the less.

[Jeld-Wen Falcon]

Its a pity things have to be fixed AFTER this kind of thing happens.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by Jeld-Wen Falcon

Its a pity things have to be fixed AFTER this kind of thing happens.

Exactelly ... Sorry to post again but the arrigance that some employers show in the workplace towards safety is appauling ! . In my time in the workforce ( especially during the time working though employment agencys ), i have seen or been in the presence of factorys that have had some pretty bad workplace accidents .. just to mention a few ... a guy copped a grinder run up half his body and face , he lived but scared forever badly / another bloke had a large grinding wheel explode in his face ( was no cover over it and no safety equipment supplied ! ) / a bloke in a plastic injecting moulding shop had hot plastic pumped into his head ( machine didn't have a propper power off or a safety stop button / he died) / bloke at chep pallets copped a pallet on the head and smashed his skull , paralised him totally.. darn the list goes on , thats why it really gets up my nose these days , im just wondering when my turn is next sometimes , with some of the equipment i have to use sometimes too ! . ....ahhhhh , no more said , ill leave it at that .. :( .