On Feb. 25, 2021, a 26-year old plant operator died after entering a cyclone discharge box at an industrial sand mine with 9 employees in West Valley City, Nevada*.  The local fire department recovered the victim lodged in an 18-inch wide discharge pipe that was full of water.

Best Practices: 

• Wear a fall protection harness, properly tie off to a permanent support structure, and attach a lifeline when entering a bin or other confined space.  Have a second person monitor the lifeline to make sure there is no slack in the fall protection system.
• Use personnel lifts or ladders to safely access elevated work areas.
• Always use fall protection when there’s a potential fall hazard.
• Examine work areas and equipment.  Report defects and do not use unsafe work equipment.
• Assess risks and hazards before beginning maintenance activities.
• Train miners to safely perform their tasks and properly use their personal protective equipment.

Additional Information: 

This is the fifth fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

On September 1, 2020, a miner (53 year-old plant helper in Texas with 2 years and 8 weeks of experience*) died when he fell while attempting to close a hatch on the top of a bulk material trailer (at an industrial sand plant with 20 employees). The miner was wearing a fall protection harness but his lanyard was not attached to a secure anchorage.

Best Practices: 

• Encourage the use of automated hatches on tanks and trailers.
• Provide and ensure the use of an effective fall arrest and secure anchorage system.
• Provide safe access to all work areas and ensure truck and trailer access and work platforms are properly designed, maintained, and used.
• Examine work areas and equipment. Don’t use unsafe work areas and equipment until repairs are made.
• Refresh miner training on safe work procedures after returning from periods of shutdown, and routinely monitor work habits.

Additional Information: 

This is the 15th fatality reported in 2020, and the fourth classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.” *(Italicized details added by safeminers.com)

Click here for Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

On June 1, 2020, a contract truck driver died after falling from the top of his trailer.  The victim received first aid/CPR at the scene and passed away after being transported to a local hospital.

Best Practices: 

• Discuss work procedures; identify all potential hazards to do the job safely.
• Train everyone to recognize fall hazards and ensure that safe work procedures are discussed and established.
• Include safe truck tarping requirements in site-specific hazard training.
• Provide truck tarping safe access facilities where needed.
• Provide an effective fall arrest secure anchorage system. Ensure that people wear and attach fall protection connecting devices where there is a danger of falling.
• Use automatic tarp deploying systems to prevent people from working from heights.

Additional Information: 

This is the 8th fatality reported in 2020, and the third classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).