On July 2, 2009, a 52-year old mine owner with 34 years of experience was fatally injured at a surface dimension stone operation. He was working alone and was operating a walk behind masonry saw on a ledge. Apparently he was positioned between the saw and the edge when he tripped and fell. The victim and the saw went over the 9-foot ledge and the saw fell on him.
Best Practices
- Identify all hazards and use appropriate controls to protect persons.
- Ensure that operators are in a safe position and have control of their equipment at all times.
- Keep workplaces free of tripping hazards.
- Use barricades or railings at edges of drop-offs where persons are in danger of falling.
- Equip walk behind masonry saws with devices to stop the engine if the operator can not maintain control of the equipment.
- Design bench top stone cutting patterns so the saw operator is not positioned between the saw and the drop off edge.
Click here for: MSHA Investigation Report(pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview(pdf)