Damage to mounding excavator

Scottish Woodlands Health & Safety Bulletin

An excavator was undertaking restocking ground preparation, (trench mounding - ditch and dollop) on a harvesting clear-fell site. While the operator was trying to move the harvesting residues from the brash matt into the prepared trench, a large diameter long section of unprocessed tree top, buried in the brash matt, snagged and pivoted out, striking the side of his machine. The engine compartment panel was damaged and collapsed back into the engine bay, knocking off the oil filter.
Due to the excessive amount of material left in the brash matt by the preceding harvesting team, including hidden long timber lengths, it was decided that it was unsafe to move this with the excavator in the planned method. The restock mounding scope was changed to ‘mounding only’ in the clear areas and using the excavator to ‘punch through’ the retained brash matt, to create planting positions within it.

Read the full item below.

Scottish Woodlands have had a number of damaging incidents to excavators undertaking restocking mounding. Some which have resulted in damage to the operator cab area, risking direct injury to the operator.
The ‘root cause’ of all of these incidents has been the preceding poor quality harvesting practices, where long lengths of timber have been buried within the brash matt.
Please see their associated ‘toolbox talk’ on excavator mounding, specifically the Principal Cause and Principal Prevention sections, which explores these issues in depth and makes detailed recommendations.