Metal/Nonmetal

Fatality #13 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On September 22, 2012, a 34-year old contract laborer with 6 days of experience was killed when he fell through a 6 ft. X 8 ft. hole that was partially covered with 2″ X 4″ boards and ¾ ” thick plywood. He fell into a chute landing on a belt conveyor 30 feet below. The victim was assigned fire watch duties on a welding/cutting operation that was taking place on the floor above him.

Best Practices
 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards. Train all persons to recognize and understand safe job procedures before beginning work.
  • Always use fall protection when working where a fall hazard exists.
  • Protect openings near travelways through which persons may fall by installing appropriately designed railings, barriers, or covers.
  • Keep temporary access opening covers secured in place at all times when the opening is not being used. Replace deteriorated floor plating and grating.
  • Ensure that areas are barricaded or have warning signs posted at all approaches if hazards exist that are not immediately obvious.

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

Fatality #12 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On August 17, 2012, a 58-year old equipment operator with 19 years of experience was killed at a cement operation. The victim was working on the roof of a 189-foot tall silo when the roof collapsed. Rescuers responded immediately and recovered the victim on September 4, 2012.

Best Practices
 

  • Routinely inspect the entire silo including walls, top, hopper(s), feeders, conveying equipment, liner, roof vents, etc. Look for structural damage, exposed rebar, stress cracks, corrosion, concrete spalling/cracking, signs of overfilling, top lifts, dust spills from seams during loading, damage to climbing devices, etc. The structure should be inspected by a professional engineer knowledgeable in silo design and construction.
  • Ensure a competent person conducts examinations to identify hazards.
  • If damage is discovered, prohibit use of and access on the silo and in the surrounding area until repairs are complete and/or a registered professional engineer has declared it structurally safe to use.
  • Modifications or equipment additions to a silo should be under the direction of a professional engineer.
  • Ensure process controls and dust collector baghouses are in working order to prevent overpressure, overfilling, or excessive vacuum. Dust leaving a silo may indicate structural damage or equipment malfunction.
  • Ensure aeration systems and other means of enhancing hopper flow are in working order so asymmetric flow patterns do not develop within the silo and damage the walls, hopper, and roof.
  • Provide silo level probes/weight measuring technology for /equipment to monitor silo material filling and discharge in the silo and keep it in working order.

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

Fatality #11 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On August 31, 2012, a 49-year old driller with 24 years of mining experience was killed at an underground gold mine. The victim was assigned to prepare the work area to set up a long-hole bench drill and was working near an open stope when he fell down the stope. He was inadvertently loaded out with the material and transported by a haul truck to the surface where he was later discovered.

Best Practices
 

  • Always use fall protection with a lanyard anchored securely when working where there is a danger of falling.
  • Examine workplaces for changing conditions when the strata, drill patterns, or other workplace conditions change.
  • Establish policies and procedures for safely clearing hung or stuck material and ensure that persons follow those safe policies and procedures.
  • Ensure that persons are task-trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
  • Ensure that areas are barricaded or have warning signs posted at all approaches where hazards exist that are not immediately obvious.
  • Consider using a “miner in distress” call feature available on many communication and tracking systems carried by miners. This feature is designed to improve emergency response if a miner working alone or out of sight of other miners requires immediate assistance.

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

Fatality #10 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On July 26, 2012, a 49-year old equipment operator with 18 weeks of mining experience was killed at a portable crushing operation. He was standing on the discharge end of a 150-foot stacker belt conveyor, greasing the head pulley, when a coworker started the conveyor. The victim fell off the conveyor approximately 50 feet to the ground below.

Best Practices
 

  • Provide and maintain a safe means of access to all working places.
  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks on belt conveyors.
  • Ensure that persons are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
  • Deenergize and Lock-out/tag-out all power sources before working on belt conveyors.
  • Block belt conveyors against motion before working near a drive, head, tail, and take-up pulleys.
  • Maintain communications with all persons performing the task. Before starting belt conveyors, ensure that all persons are clear.
  • Sound an audible alarm prior to start up, if the entire length of the belt conveyor is not visible from the starting switch.
  • Clearly label all switches on equipment and provide training to persons who operate and work in the vicinity of equipment.

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

Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On June 21, 2012, a 49-year old customer truck driver with no mining experience was killed at a surface stone mine. He was driving a loaded dump truck, traveling down a grade, when the truck lost its brakes and went out of control. The victim jumped out and the truck ran over him. A passenger in the truck also jumped out and was treated at a hospital and released.

  • Ensure that mobile equipment operators are task trained adequately and demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
  • Maintain equipment braking systems in good repair and adjustment.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks to ensure the service brakes will stop and hold the mobile equipment prior to operating.
  • Know the truck’s capabilities, operating ranges, load-limits and safety features.
  • Operators of self-propelled mobile equipment shall maintain control of the equipment while it is in motion.
  • Operating speeds shall be consistent with conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Slow down or shift to a lower gear when necessary. Post areas where lower speeds are warranted.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Do not attempt to exit or jump from moving mobile equipment.
  • Provide adequate site specific hazard training to all customer truck drivers.

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

Fatality #8 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On May 28, 2012, a 51-year old shift operator with 13 years of experience was killed at a cement operation. The victim was found near the plant’s crane bay building after being struck by a front-end loader. He was walking from the lunchroom toward the locker area.

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.
  • Wear high visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.
  • Before moving mobile equipment, look in the direction of travel and use all mirrors and cameras to ensure no persons are in the intended path.
  • Sound the horn to warn persons of intended movement and give them time to move to a safe location.
  • Operate the mobile equipment at reduced speeds in work areas.
  • Ensure that backup alarms and lights on mobile equipment are maintained and operational.
  • Post signs to warn persons in areas where mobile equipment travel.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On May 23, 2012, a 36 year-old foreman with about 9½ years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He was operating an excavator on a dike separating two ponds. The ground beneath the excavator tracks failed and the excavator toppled into one of the ponds.

Best Practices

  • Examine work areas to identify all hazards and remediate before starting any work.
  • Evaluate the stability of the ground (slopes and berms) prior to operating equipment near any drop off or edge.
  • Always be attentive to changes in ground conditions and visibility when operating machinery.
  • Perform the work at a safe distance away from the edge of a pond or where the stability of the ground may be unknown.
  • If a potential hazard is present, use long reach equipment to limit exposure and maintain a safe distance away.
  • Consider areas that have experienced previous slope failures to be unstable and do not approach until the area is evaluated for stability.
  • Wear flotation devices where there is a danger of falling into water.
  • Be alert to changes in ground conditions such as cracking, bulging, sloughing, undercutting, and erosion.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #6 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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Best Practices

  • Ensure that mobile equipment operators are task trained adequately and demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and ensure the service brakes are properly maintained and will stop and hold the mobile equipment prior to operating.
  • Operators of self-propelled mobile equipment shall maintain control of the equipment while it is in motion.
  • Operating speeds shall be consistent with conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Ensure that equipment manufacturer’s load limits are not exceeded.
  • Slow down or drop to a lower gear when necessary. Post areas where lower speeds are warranted.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Ensure that equipment operators maintain adequate communications.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #5 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On April 11, 2012, a 49 year-old excavator operator with approximately 8½ years of experience was injured at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was removing bolts from a counterweight on the back of an excavator when the counterweight fell and struck him. He was hospitalized and died on April 12, 2012, as a result of his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Before working on or near equipment, establish safe work procedures consistent with the design of the machine. Train all persons to recognize and understand these procedures.
  • Follow the equipment manufacturer’s procedures for the work being performed to ensure that all hazards are addressed.
  • Provide adequate task training to persons assigned to perform the work. Utilize assistance from the manufacturer when the equipment incorporates new technology and features.
  • Install blocking materials before removing mounting bolts from machinery components which can fall during disassembly.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #4 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On March 20, 2012, a 54 year-old mine owner with approximately 25 years of experience was killed at an underground gemstone mine. He was cleaning fine ore with a shovel and loading it in the bucket of a front-end loader when rock fell from the top left rib about 20 feet high. The victim was working alone.

Best Practices

  • Examine work areas and identify and control all hazards before starting any work.
  • Establish safe work procedures and train all persons to recognize and understand these procedures.
  • Always examine, sound, and test for loose ground in areas before starting to work, after blasting, and as ground conditions warrant.
  • Test for loose material frequently during work activities and where necessary, scale loose material safely.
  • Install ground support in roof and ribs where conditions warrant.
  • Do not perform work alone in any area where hazardous conditions exist that would endanger your safety.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).