Knives Out: Bob Lussier chipper knife accident

In 2021, Great Woods Companies President Robert (Bob) Lussier experienced a harrowing encounter with chipper knives this summer. He narrowly lost his left arm when the chipper knives fell off the chipper and struck his left arm. Forestry Mutual Insurance sat down with Bob to discuss the accident, how it happened, his recovery, and his safety modification to his chipper when changing chipper knives. A safety modification feature that can be applied industry-wide to avoid future accidents like his. In the video Guy Sabin, VP of Forestry Association of South Carolina, discussed with Forestry Mutual the importance of the lessons learned from Bob’s accident. He also highlights the need to have an Emergency Action Plan in place for every location that we work. That Emergency Action Plan that Great Woods had in place saved Bob’s life that day.

THE INCIDENT: In July of 2021, several sharpened chipper knives were placed on top of the chipper’s access panel in preparation for an upcoming knife change. When Bob opened the panel door to gain access to the grease fittings, the stacked knives fell onto him, inflicting severe injuries. Their quick thinking and training saved a life that day. It was a long drive to a Medivac flight, with Bob experiencing an extreme amount of blood loss.

Bob was out of work for 12 weeks. This accident inspired Great Woods Companies to design and fabricate a safety modification to the chipper itself to avoid a similar injury in the future. A lesson we can all learn from.

Great Woods Companies routinely stores chipper knives in custom-made wooden boxes to hold three 18-pound knives. This system allows the sharpened blades to be transported safely and efficiently. The solution for Great Woods Companies was welding a rectangular compartment on top of the chipper to accommodate the wooden transport boxes during the knife change process.

The compartment is specifically designed for a snug fit, not allowing any chance for the wooden transport box to slip or slide inside the container. Another important aspect is that this modification makes it possible to complete a knife change without ever lifting the box of knives above the knee. They can quickly and safely be transported up the stairs and onto the chipper and back down in a systematic process. The knife box has a specific area of placement during a knife exchange, and each employee is trained on the importance of adhering to this critical safety practice.

This safety modification can be designed and easily fabricated in-house in a single day. The dimensions for Great Woods Companies’ model are 23 inches (L) x 12 inches (W) x 10 inches (H). The cost of materials for this project is minimal. Estimated costs are around $250 to equip each chipper with this vital safety modification. It is a low-cost and straightforward approach to address a problem, but the peace of mind knowing that this type of accident will not occur again is worth the investment.

If not for their Emergency Action Plan and routine safety training, this story would have had a grave ending.

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