GUILDERLAND – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an inspection into the workplace death of a 23-year-old man who died Wednesday in Guilderland.

OSHA is investigating whether Countryside Tree Care violated workplace safety standards, including those involving machinery and protective equipment, when Justus Booze died after becoming entangled in a wood chipper in front of 215 Placid Drive.

"This is a really early phase," U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Ted Fitzgerald said Thursday. Countryside Tree Care is the only company mentioned in the case, he said.

If an investigation identifies a violation, OSHA could issue citations to and impose fines on the employer, Fitzgerald said.

Guilderland Police identified Booze as the victim on Thursday morning.

A crowdfunding campaign is aiming to alleviate Booze's funeral costs by raising $5,000. More than $1,000 was raised by early Thursday afternoon.

Booze was described on the gofundme page as "a young man so full of laughter and joy."

The accident occurred Wednesday around 1:15 p.m. An employee of Capital Crane, which subcontracted for the project, said it was Booze's first day on the job.

OSHA recommends that employers should closely supervise new employees to make sure they are safely operating wood chippers. Typically, employees feed branches into chipper chutes by hand, and feed rollers at the end of the chute pull branches into rotating knives, according to OSHA.

Countryside Tree Care's owner, Tony Watson, did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.