Oshawa wood chipper death comes after industry-wide security warnings

Yesterday deadly workplace accident, which dragged an arborist who was contracted in the city of Oshawa into a woodcutter, comes after more than two years of warnings about the safety of the contractor of the Toronto Auditor General.

At about 8:45 a.m. yesterday (March 16) a man was killed as he cut into a woodcutter at Oshawa’s Waverly St. N was drawn.

The man was later identified as Daniel Vanheyst, 22, from Verona. Vanheyst worked for Kingston-based Eco Tree Care, which was commissioned by Oshawa to remove ash trees that had been destroyed by emerald-ash-borer infestations.

The Ministry of Labor has been informed and has launched an investigation which may take several months to complete.

However, the Toronto Auditor General found rampant safety issues among urban forest workers in a 2019 report, illustrating industry-wide concerns. These topics persist for more than a year and a half later per follow-up study in 2021.

Auditor General Investigators oversee a variety of crews who have been contracted to the City of Toronto for full working days. Over a period of two months, they recorded over 500 hours of forestry work and discovered many safety issues.

Workers were often observed without hard hats, using the phone while carrying hydrowires in a bucket elevator and getting too close to wood carvers, according to the report

“Although we have seen many crew members who follow safe work practices,” said an AG video reviewer, “every time we see a potentially unsafe work practice, it worries our workers.” In addition to missing hard hats, workers without safety goggles, gloves or hearing protection were picked up on several occasions.

The report also says workers were seen reaching for the wood cutters to get them out while the chipper was open, and feeding the chipper from the front instead of from the side of the machine, where it was safer. The AG reports that workers were seen wearing gloves that could be caught on moving machines, and were not seen wearing PPE when using the chips.

The AG recommends stricter security verification and harsher penalties for repeated non-compliance up to and including termination of contract.

Oshawa did not conduct a similar survey of forest workers. There is no indication of abuse of the part of town or Eco Tree Care in Vanheyst’s death.

Meanwhile, friends and family are mourning the loss of Vanheyst.

“My friend and Congolese compatriot Jeanine, along with the Vanheyst family in Verona, are saddened to announce the sudden death of their first son,” reads a family announcement about friend Mimi Haws.

“I loved him as a baby. He grew up to be a godly young man and very hardworking. My heart aches like his family,” Haws said.

Mike Saulnier, Oshawa’s Director of Operations, told CTV News, “For us, the group, they are an extended part of our family, so when that happens, it’s just … Our condolences and our hearts go out to “Family out. This is very difficult to care for.”

Arborist Safe Work Practices kiss;

• Operators should carry appropriate staff Protective equipment
• Do not wear any jewelry or clothing that might become entangled in brushes or moving parts
• Never place body parts in the in-feed chute for any reason while the machine is operating

“When Worker feed tree pieces and branches and chippers, they risk being caught Machine and pulled in quickly–turn Chipper Knife, ”

The rate of unsafe practices observed by the AG investigation was much higher than the rate of Toronto Urban Forestry, which is required to inspect all contracted crews. “This raises questions as to whether the city inspectors are sufficient to monitor compliance with the security requirements of the contract,” the AG said.

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