Metal/Nonmetal

Fatality #4 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2014

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FAB14m04_clip_image004FAB14m04_clip_image002On March 27, 2014, a 64-year-old foreman with 32 years of experience was seriously injured when he was struck by a section of plastic water pipe as it was being moved by an excavator.  The victim was transported to a hospital where he died on March 30, 2014, as a result of his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and 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 before beginning work.
  • Wear suitable hard hats where falling objects may create a hazard.
  • Stay clear of a suspended load.
  • Attach taglines to loads that may require steadying or guidance while suspended.
  • Implement measures to ensure persons are properly positioned and protected from hazards while performing a task.
  • Monitor persons routinely to determine safe work procedures are followed.

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

Fatality #3 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2014

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On February 28, 2014, a 50-year old supervisor with 27 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine.  The victim was at a backfill site and approached an 80-foot high bank when it failed, engulfing him.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions that can decrease bank or slope stability and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards.
  • Prior to beginning work and as ground conditions warrant during the shift, examine all pit, highwall, slope, and bank conditions.  Be especially vigilant for these conditions after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
  • Use mining methods that ensure pit, highwall, slope, and bank stability and safe working conditions.
  • Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.
  • Stay clear of potentially unstable areas.

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

Fatality #2 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2014

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ftl2014m02

On February 21, 2014, a 34-year old contract laborer with 6 months of experience was killed at a cement operation when attempting to access an elevator in the finish mill. When the victim opened the elevator door on the fourth floor landing, he stepped into the elevator shaft and fell approximately 51 feet to the top of the elevator car located on the ground floor.

Best Practices

  • Immediately report any elevator problems to management.
  • Ensure that any problems affecting the safety of an elevator are repaired promptly.
  • Ensure that elevator door interlocks, that prevent the door from being opened unless the elevator car is present, are functional.
  • Ensure that elevator doors will not open unless an elevator car is at the floor landing.
  • Install audible signals that sound when the elevator car is at the landing prior to the doors opening.
  • Train all persons to be aware of their surroundings when entering or exiting an elevator car.

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

Fatality #1 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2014

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ftl2014m01On February 1, 2014, a 56-year old contract belt operator with 4 months of experience was killed at an iron ore mine. The victim was cleaning a return idler inside the frame of a belt conveyor when he became entangled between the return idler and the belt.

Best Practices

  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks on belt conveyors.
  • Before beginning any work, ensure that persons assigned to clean belt conveyors are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work to be performed.
  • Do not perform work on a belt conveyor until the power is off, locked, and tagged, and machinery components are blocked against motion.
  • Never clean pulleys or idlers manually while belt conveyors are operating.
  • Identify hazards around belt conveyor systems, design guarding, and securely install the guarding to ensure miners do not contact moving parts.

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

Fatality #22 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m22On December 10, 2013, a 27-year old deck hand with 4 years and 8 months of experience drowned at a dredge operation. He was working on a dredge that had a barge attached to it. The victim stepped on the barge and fell into the water.

Best Practices

  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
  • Always wear a life jacket where there is a danger of falling into the water.
  • Remove snow and ice from work areas.
  • Ensure safe access is provided where persons are required to work or travel. Maintain three points of contact.
  • Install and use lifeline tie-off runs and fall protection.
  • Provide communication devices and establish procedures requiring persons to alert coworkers when they are outside the dredge’s handrails.

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

Fatality #21 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m21On December 13, 2013, a 53-year old utility worker with 19 years of experience was killed at a sand mine. The victim was standing near the edge of a bank when it collapsed engulfing him.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions that can decrease bank or slope stability and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards.
  • Evaluate all pit, highwall, slope, and bank conditions daily. Be especially vigilant for these conditions after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
  • Slope trenches back at a stable angle or install shoring when working in and around trenches.
  • Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.

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

Fatality #20 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m20On December 6, 2013, a 61-year old reagent handler with 39 years of experience was killed at an iron ore mine. The victim was working on top of a snow and ice covered railroad tanker car when he fell to a concrete floor approximately 12 feet below.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
  • Remove snow and ice from work areas.
  • Always use fall protection with a lanyard anchored securely when working where there is a danger of falling.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Fatality #19 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m19On December 4, 2013, a 63-year old lead man with 16 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone mine. The victim initiated a blast and was struck by flyrock from the blast. He was standing 153 feet from the nearest blast hole and was struck by rock as large as 19 inches long by 14 inches wide by 7 inches thick.

 

Best Practices

 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons. Task train all persons in safe work procedures.
  • Maintain and use all available methods of communication, such as sirens and radios, to warn persons of an impending blast. Establish methods to ensure that all persons are out of the blasting area.
  • Guard or barricade all access routes to the blasting area to prevent the passage of persons or vehicles.
  • Before firing a blast, give ample warning to allow all persons to be evacuated.
  • Clear and remove all persons from the blasting area unless suitable blasting shelters are provided to protect persons from flyrock.
  • Verify that the blasting procedures are effective and being followed at all times.

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

Fatality #18 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m18On November 18, 2013, a 33-year old contract electrician foreman with 14 years of experience was injured at a crushed stone mine. The victim was working in a 480-volt electrical enclosure, pulling cable for a new pump that was being installed, when he contacted energized conductors. He was transported to a hospital where he died on November 22, 2013.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that persons are trained on all electrical tests and safety equipment necessary to safely test and ground the circuit where work is to be performed.
  • Positively identify the circuit on which work is to be conducted.
  • De-energize power and ensure that the circuit is visibly open for circuits being worked on and circuits near the work area.
  • Lock and Tag! Place YOUR lock and tag on the disconnecting device.
  • Use properly rated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Arc Flash Protection such as a hood, gloves, shirt, and pants.
  • Ensure ALL electrical components in the enclosure are de-energized by testing for voltage using properly rated test equipment.
  • Install warning labels on the terminal covers of bottom feed circuit breakers warning that “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).

Fatality #16 & 17 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m1617On November 17, 2013, a 33-year old powderman trainee with 5 weeks of experience and a 59-year old shift supervisor with 36 years of experience were killed at a silver mine. The two miners were in an area of the mine where explosives had been detonated the day before. Other miners working in the area were able to evacuate. Mine rescue teams entered the mine, found the two victims, and brought them to the surface. During the recovery operation, rescue teams detected fatal levels of carbon monoxide. Twenty miners were taken to the hospital and three were kept overnight.

Best Practices

  • Conduct effective workplace examinations. Identify all hazards and take action to correct them.
  • Ensure all active working areas are ventilated prior to allowing miners to work in those areas.
  • Monitor gasses as frequently as necessary to determine the adequacy of control measures.
  • Use properly maintained and calibrated gas detection instruments with alarms for concentrations outside of safe limits that are audible and visual.
  • Ensure all miners are trained to recognize all potential hazards and emergency procedures, including evacuation procedures.
  • Dispose of damaged or deteriorated explosive material in a safe manner in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)