Fatal Stump Grinder Accident in Landscaping

On September 15, 2023, a tragic accident involving a stump grinder occurred during a commercial landscaping project in Portland, Oregon, resulting in the death of a 43-year-old landscaping worker, Thomas Blake. Blake was operating a high-powered diesel stump grinder to remove a large tree stump on a residential property when the incident occurred. According to the investigation, Blake was using the stump grinder when the machine's safety shield failed, causing wood debris to be ejected at high speed. The forceful impact of the debris caused severe injuries. Despite the immediate efforts of his coworkers and emergency […]