Last Updated on October 8, 2025
Wood chippers are one of the best pieces of equipment for clearing land. Within minutes, wood chippers transform piles of debris into valuable and easy-to-transport shredded wood. Many construction projects, municipalities and tree care teams can’t do without them.
The problem is, wood chipper injuries can be devastating, if not fatal. Unfortunately, 16 people died in accidents involving wood chippers from 2017 to 2024, according to OSHA reports. Most fatalities happen when someone gets caught in the machine or struck by flying debris or damaged parts.
Luckily, you don’t need to be afraid of wood chippers. There are many ways you and your teams can prevent wood chipper injuries.
With ample training and the tips below, you can help keep your teams safe and productive. By the end of this article, you’ll know how wood chippers work and what to do to prevent accidents.
- Read more about land-clearing equipment safety: Tips for Stump Grinder Safety.
How Do Wood Chippers Work?
Wood chippers are classified based on the diameter of the wood they can safely handle. For example, a 12-inch brush chipper can cut branches up to 12-inches in diameter.
Wood chippers need at least two people to operate machinery safely — one to run the controls (the operator) and one to feed wood into the chipper.
- The operator always stands by the controls, ready to turn off the machine if needed.
- The other worker(s) feed, or place, the wood into the infeed chute (or “hopper”) until the wood is secured by the rollers.
- The feed rollers pull the branch into a spinning disc, or drum, of sharp blades. The blades shred the wood.
- From there, the shredded wood is ejected through the discharge chute.
Wood Chipper Safety Features You Need to Know
In the U.S., OSHA requires machines like wood chippers to have guards. These guards help protect workers from getting too close to the infeed chute and blades.
Depending on the model, some of the features may come standard or are optional features.
Safety Features of a Wood Chipper May Include:
- Bottom Feed Stop Bar: When the bottom feed stop bar senses too much pressure on the bottom edge of the intake chute, the feed roller will stop. Note: This bar does not typically stop the drum.
- Panic Bars or Emergency Stop Buttons: These features stop the machine in the event of an emergency.
- Emergency Pull Ropes: Also known as “last chance cables,” these ropes are located within the intake chute. The ropes will stop or reverse the feed rollers, but not the drum.
- Feed Control Bars: This bar allows operators to stop or reverse the feed rollers.
- Feed Tray Extensions: Extending the feed tray creates a bigger physical barrier between workers and the feed rollers.
- Safety Curtain: This flexible rubber curtain helps keep projectile wood chips to a minimum.
7 Tips for Safe Wood Chipper Operation
Wood chipper safety is everyone’s responsibility. Before starting any project involving a wood chipper, be sure to follow all local safety regulations, and make sure everyone on site understands how to safely work with (or near) a wood chipper.
1. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Brush chippers are loud machines that can create flying debris. Additionally, loose clothing or hair can easily get snagged by branches or caught in the rollers, putting those nearby at risk of being pulled into the machine.
Make sure everyone on site wears:
- Hard hats and eye protection
- Close-fitting clothes without cuffs, including gloves and pants
- Avoid jewelry, lanyards, scarves, and other loose or dangling accessories.
- Skid-resistant footwear
- Hearing protection
2. Inspect the Machine and Train the Whole Team
Each day before work begins, inspect the machine for signs of wear or damage. This includes listening for signs of loose parts. Inspect the safety features to make sure they’re in good working condition.
Also, make sure all team members are familiar with the wood chipper safety features of your specific model.
- For Operators: Review the manual and complete any required safety training or training offered by your equipment rental provider.
- For Team Members Working Nearby: Learn how the safety features work and how to turn off the machine in an emergency.
- Designate a Safety Watch: Assign at least one person to be the “safety watch.” This person will stay near the emergency shut-off while others put debris into the chipper.
3. Keep the Guards and Latches in Good Condition
If any of the guards or the chipper hood safety latch are damaged or malfunctioning, do not use the machine. These features are designed to prevent “struck-by” and “caught-in” accidents.
- Guards: Commercial wood chippers have several guards, including side guards on the intake chute and guards on the discharge spout. These guards help keep flying debris controlled while also keeping workers from reaching into dangerous parts of the machine.
- Hood Safety Latch: The chipper hood safety latch prevents the chipper from starting until the hood is locked. It also won’t allow anyone to open the hood until the drum has stopped.
4. Prepare the Debris Pile
Putting the wrong material into a wood chipper can damage the machine or injure those nearby.
Make sure that the material going into the wood chipper is prepared correctly.
- Remove Foreign Objects: Remove all debris that can’t go into the chipper, such as rocks, metal, rebar, wires or string-like objects.
- Keep Branches Long: The shorter the wood, the closer workers get to the rollers. This increases the risk of them getting caught in the machine. Only put long pieces of wood into a chipper.
- Remove Material That’s Too Thick: Don’t put anything in the chipper if it’s a larger diameter than what the chipper is rated for.Thick tree trunks will need to be cut into thinner pieces or hauled separately.
5. Never Operate the Machine Alone
Never allow a worker to operate the chipper by themselves and never leave the wood chipper unattended.
Always have at least one person operating the controls and watching for safety risks while others feed material into the machine.
Everyone working with a wood chipper should be aware of what’s happening around the machine, at all times. Keep others away from the infeed and discharge chutes.
6. Position the Chutes
Put up barriers or signage to create a safety zone around the chutes and position the machine for best results. All wood chipping work should be kept at least 20 feet away from other work.
When setting up the chipper, position the machine so the intake chute is easily accessible to the team, but not others.
Position the discharge chute and the container or truck away from traffic and the public. If the weather’s very windy, adjust the discharge chute’s position to keep dust and flying debris controlled.
7. Feed the Wood Chipper Carefully
Once the site is set up properly and the wood is ready, it’s time to start feeding the wood chipper. This is the point when accidents are most likely to occur, so stay vigilant and use the steps below.
How to Feed Material into a Wood Chipper:
- Go slowly and insert material “trunk first.” Do not rush or press material into the rollers faster than the rollers can go.
- Never reach into the machine. If a piece is too short to reach the rollers without reaching into the chute, use a wooden push tool to load the chipper instead.
- Stand away from the intake chute. Standing to the side, not in the middle of branches, helps reduce the chances of getting tangled and pulled into the machine.
- Wait for a full stop. The blades may take a while to come to a complete stop after the machine is turned off. If there’s a clog or other reason to shut down the machine, wait until it is fully stopped and immobilized before reaching into the machine or walking away.
Clear Away Brush with High-Performance Wood Chippers from Herc Rentals
When operated safely, wood chippers can help you clear a lot brush and branches quickly. They are indispensable for land-clearing projects and tree care operations. When your project calls for a wood chipper, turn to the equipment experts at Herc Rentals.
Our fleet of high-performance wood chippers can help you save time, simplify transport, create a useful byproduct and promote a safe project site. With automated feed systems and other advanced features, a wood chipper from Herc Rentals can help protect your team against accidents and injuries.
Browse our line of commercial wood chippers today, or contact us at 1-800-432-6215 to get started.
