Author: renewcomer

Fatality #17 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2010

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2010 MNM fatality #17On October 7, 2010, a 72 year-old dozer operator with 20 years of experience died at a dimension stone operation. The victim dismounted the dozer he was operating and walked near a haul truck that struck him.

Best Practices

  • Train all persons to stay clear of mobile equipment.
  • Be aware of the location and traffic patterns of mobile equipment in your work area.
  • Never approach mobile equipment until you communicate with mobile equipment operators and receive confirmation from the operator indicating awareness of your presence.
  • Use radios to communicate when visual contact can’t be maintained.
  • Wear high visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.
  • Install “rear viewing” cameras and proximity detection devices on mobile equipment.
  • Before moving mobile equipment, look in the direction of travel, use all mirrors, cameras, and proximity detection devices to ensure no persons are in the intended path.
  • Sound the horn to warn persons of intended movement and wait to give them time to move to a safe location.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #16 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2010

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MNM Fatality 16 2010

On October 10, 2010, a 42 year- old contract electrician with 4 years of experience was seriously injured at a granite operation. The victim and two co-workers were installing ground fault indicator lights in a circuit breaker enclosure when an arc flash occurred. The circuit breaker enclosure contained a bottom feed circuit breaker. All three workers were hospitalized and the victim died on October 12, 2010.

Before YOU perform electrical work:

  • Be trained on all the electrical tests and safety equipment necessary to safely test and ground the circuit being worked on.
  • Conduct a risk assessment.
  • Use properly rated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Arc Flash Protection such as a hood, gloves, shirt, and pants.
  • Positively identify the circuit on which work is to be conducted.
  • De-energize power and ensure that the circuit is visibly open.
  • Place YOUR lock and tag on the disconnecting device.
  • Verify the circuit is de-energized by testing for voltage using properly rated test equipment.
  • Ensure ALL electrical components in the enclosure are de-energized.
  • Ground ALL phase conductors to the equipment grounding medium with grounding equipment that is properly rated.
  • Install warning labels on the terminal covers of bottom feed circuit breakers stating the “Bottom terminal lugs remain energized when the circuit breaker is open.”

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

MSHA Provides Winter Alert Materials

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The annual Winter Alert is ON! “Conditions at underground and surface coal mines can change dramatically during the winter months,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “We must be ever mindful of the seasonal changes that can affect our work environments.”

Posters, decals, and a PowerPoint presentation focus on some underground issues, but a printable poster for surface is also available on the MSHA web site at http://www.msha.gov/FocusOn/WinterAlert2010/WinterAlert2010homepage.asp. Check it out!

CDC’s LEAN Works! Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition

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A FREE web-based resource that offers interactive tools and evidence-based resources to design effective worksite obesity prevention and control programs, including an obesity cost calculator to estimate how much obesity is costing your company and how much savings your company could reap with different workplace interventions.
Includes some good health related materials like tips for healthy snacks at meetings and links to state programs where they exist.

Check it out at www.cdc.gov/leanworks

PSU 15th Mine Safety Seminar for Supervisors

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On January 19th and 20th, 2011 the Penn State Miner Training Program will host the 15th Professional Development Mine Safety Seminar for Supervisors at the Holiday Inn Conference Center — Lehigh Valley. The seminar, co-sponsored by industry and government stakeholders, is the premier opportunity of the year to enhance the safety management skills of front-line supervisory personnel.

Check it out with others by clicking on the Events tab above, or…

Click here for: Seminar Web Site with Program and Registration (html), Brochure (pdf).

Commenting is Rewarding

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I know you’re reading this. You’re checking SafeMiners.com out. Perhaps you’ve been here several times, but you haven’t commented yet. Well, at least you haven’t left a comment after one of the posts. It’s simple. You just click on the comment link under whichever post you’d like to comment on.

Now it’s rewarding too! I’m going to randomly choose a comment from those posted by the end of the year and send the winner a multi-tool like the one pictured. That’s it. Comments must be relevant and kind, but may be supportive or critical of the post. Otherwise, they are removed anyway. Try it out. You’ve got nothing to lose and a neat little tool to win!

If you need help check out the new User’s Guide under the ABOUT tab.

MSHA Proposes Changes to Rule for Coal Dust Exposure

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MSHA proposed a rule that would lower underground and surface miners’ exposure to respirable coal mine dust by revising the Agency’s existing standards. The major provisions of the proposal would lower the existing respirable dust exposure limit from 2.0 mg/m3 to 1.0 mg/m3 over a 24-month phase-in period; require full-shift sampling; and redefine the term “normal production shift.”  In addition, the proposed rule would provide for the use of a single full-shift compliance sampling under the mine operator and MSHA’s inspector sampling programs, establish requirements for use of the Continuous Personal Dust Monitor (CPDM) to monitor exposure, and expand medical surveillance of coal miners. Read the full proposed rule below.

Click here for: Proposed Rule in Federal Register (pdf)

TRAM is Underway!

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LEFT: Registration is busy and will get busier with hundreds more yet to arrive. RIGHT: Computer and coffee in hand, these participants are ready to roll!

Well, the presentations haven’t begun, but the networking and sharing information began with Mine Safety folks from all over the country arriving yesterday. Breakfast this morning was a gathering of old friends and the meeting of new with hundreds more yet to arrive. Be sure to stay tuned because there are sure to be some great resources I find and post here to share along with my own presentation.

Also stay tuned. In another day or two I’m kicking off a competition to encourage folks make comments on these pages. I know you visit. Now it’s your turn to add to the site by leaving a comment. Don’t wait. Comments made starting today will be entered into a drawing for a prize. Details will follow.

MSHA Announces Tougher POV Provisions

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ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the second phase in major reforms to its pattern of violations process, which includes tougher provisions for mines with chronic and persistent violations of significant health and safety regulations. This announcement coincides with the release of an independent analysis prepared by the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General: “In 32 years MSHA Has Never Successfully Exercised its Pattern of Violation Authority.” Earlier this week, MSHA publicized new screening criteria for the POV enforcement program.

Click here for: MSHA Press Release (pdf), POV Screening Criteria 2010 (pdf), POV Procedures Summary 2010 (pdf), POV Regulations (web)

CAT Forklift Safety Brochure

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CAT has some really nice safety materials free for the asking or as it goes on the internet, free for the taking. The one this illustration comes from nicely covers the general hazards of operating just about any kind of forklift.

It includes Safety Information for Operators, a sample Pre-operation checklist, and Information for Employers which applies specifically to OSHA regulations, but certainly addresses best practices concerning task training on MSHA sites with such equipment.

Download the PDF, print it out, and use it for a toolbox talk for operators or anyone who works were forklifts are used.

To supplement it you may want to use the fatalgram and investigation for a Coal fatality that involved such a piece of equipment. It happened on the surface of an underground mine, but the hazards apply to just about any mining or construction site.

Click here for: CAT Forklift Trifold (pdf)