INVESTIGATORS are mystified why a man who died in a workplace accident north of Heywood on Monday left the cabin of an operating tree harvester.
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The worker, in his mid-50s and with 30 years’ experience in the logging industry, was fatally injured when he was crushed inside the harvester about 4pm at a Myamyn pine plantation.
The man is believed to have suffered head injuries and died instantly.
Hamilton police crime investigation unit detectives and WorkSafe investigators will consult industry experts to try to determine the circumstances leading up to the man’s death.
One source said the worker was clearly not where he was suppose to be when the accident happened.
The man was operating a harvesting head, which is purpose-built to harvest trees — cutting them off and running the trunks through the machine to strip off bark and branches to leave a log ready for milling.
It is understood the man was working alone and left the cabin while the harvester was running. Sources said it was unclear what the worker was attempting to do.
