The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that it hit the Lehigh Valley-based company with a $136,613 fine after finding that it had let three minors operate the woodchipper, which is a violation of federal child labor laws.
“The dangers of tree-trimming and operating a woodchipper are obvious and widely known, and yet this employer exposed a teenager to deadly risks. Now his family, friends and co-workers are left to mourn,” OSHA Area Office Director Jean Kulp said in a press release.
No one especially children should be near a wood chipper when in operation. These machines will pull debris right into the blades. If you get snagged on a branch then the machine will not stop but actually pull you in with the branch.