Man died after getting arm and neck trapped in log chipper machine on farm in Aberfeldy

A man died after getting his arm and neck trapped in a log chipper machine while working on a farm in Perth and Kinross.

Andrew Sinclair, 61, was a machine operator for DK Logs when he died on September 6, 2022, at Brae of Murthly, Pitilie Farm in Aberfeldy.

A fatal accident inquiry found Mr Sinclair died due to injuries to his arm and neck after his clothes became entangled in the Firewood Processing Machine (FPM).

Mr Sinclair was discovered by his colleague, Scott Martin, who saw that his arm was caught in the toothed rollers of the log deck’s transverse conveyor and immediately hit the stop button on the machine’s control panel.

A report submitted by David Gostick, HM principal specialist inspector of Health and Safety (Mechanical Engineering), concluded Mr Sinclair “did not follow on-job training” on the day of the accident.

The report said the cause of the accident was the deceased’s clothing and upper body being near the conveyor’s moving cogs while it was operating, which led to him becoming tangled.

Additionally, evidence showed that part of the machine was found to have been “jammed” forward to continue operating.

“The transverse conveyor will only operate if the control lever is in the forward position; it would have been impossible for Mr Sinclair to have operated that lever whilst standing at the log deck; it is a reasonable inference for the court that the control was ‘jammed” in the forward position by some means,” the report read.

The inquiry heard that Mr Sinclair had not been shown to “jam the controls” by anyone at DK Logs.

The report said Mr Sinclair “must have jammed the controls of the FPM, left the safety of the control panel and approached the log deck whilst the log conveyor was operational for him to have become entangled”.

Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith concluded at Dundee Sheriff Court that he could not speculate why Mr Sinclair “jammed” the hold to run controls and left the control panel.

He added: “I can only conclude based on the evidence that Mr Sinclair did do that.”

He concluded the report with condolences to Mr Sinclair’s family and friends.