On July 26, 2021, a 33 year old contract iron worker with 8 years 13 weeks experience*, who was not wearing fall protection, was performing maintenance on a cement cooler at a mine in Stockertown, PA with 128 employees* when a wooden board broke, causing him to fall 23 feet onto a concrete floor.
Best Practices:
- Assure a safe means of access is provided and maintained to all working places. Use personnel lifts or ladders to access elevated work areas safely.
- Use fall protection when a fall hazard exists. Ensure fall protection has a suitable fall arrest and secure anchorage system.
- Examine work areas, tools, and equipment. Report and correct defects. Do not use unsafe equipment.
- Assess risks and eliminate or control hazards before beginning maintenance activities. Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
- Train miners and ensure they perform work safely, use tools properly, and utilize personal protective equipment correctly.
Additional Information:
This is the 20th fatality reported in 2021, and the second classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”(*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).