O.K. I'll be the asshole >>> What kind of safety training did this guy have in the first place ? BEFORE he operated the chipper ?
I ask because I have been guilty of not training people. I have hired people (friends, usually; begging for work) to help drag brush. They aren't allowed to run the chipper... drag it up, walk away. I had my boss' wife on a site under these circumstances (no training) when something went terribly wrong. The blades hit the anvil and hunks of metal started flying out the side. I was screaming at the top of my lungs for the woman to DUCK ... GET ON THE GROUND !!!... but she stood there frozen. Fortunately no injuries.
I swear everybody gets basic chipper safety training now.