On April 16, 2013, a 58-year old shaftman with 32 years of experience was seriously injured at an underground salt mine. The victim and two coworkers were replacing a bushing on the side of a skip hoist in the production shaft. The victim was standing on a steel beam outside the handrails of a covered work platform where the coworkers were standing, when a piece of salt fell and struck him. He was transported to a hospital where he died on April 17, 2013.
- Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed in a shaft with the methods to properly protect persons.
- Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards, such as falling material, before beginning work.
- Examine the shaft and remove loose material prior to commencing work.
- Implement measures to ensure persons are properly positioned and protected from falling material while performing shaft maintenance work.
- Perform shaft maintenance work from a substantial platform with adequate overhead protection.
- Perform maintenance work for skip hoists and other conveyances on the surface whenever possible.
- Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).