Mining Fatalities

Fatality #3 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c03On Thursday, February 7, 2013, at approximately 9:20 p.m., a 43-year-old utility man was killed when he was pinned underneath the scoop he was operating at the bottom of a service shaft. The victim and two other miners were unloading trash from a scoop bucket insert with the scoop bucket positioned on the hoist platform. The hoist unexpectedly started moving up the shaft. This raised the front end of the scoop, which slipped away from the hoist deck and fell suddenly. The victim was found underneath the operator’s deck of the scoop.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that an adequate delay time is provided between the activation of visual and/or audible alarms and the movement of the hoist, so that workers can react and move clear of dangerous areas.
  • Conduct thorough examinations of all hoisting equipment and safety mechanisms on a daily basis. Ensure that persons conducting these examinations are trained adequately and any deficiencies identified are corrected immediately.
  • Discuss work procedures and identify all hazards associated with the work to be performed along with the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Communicate work activities prior to beginning the work and maintain communications during the work activity.
  • Develop and implement a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the safe operation of service hoists and man hoists, train all of the miners involved in hoisting operations, and post these procedures near the hoist control panels in a conspicuous location.
  • Provide redundant safety mechanisms that provide a more fail proof check of the system before the hoist can be operated.
  • When possible, secure the cage mechanically to prevent cage motion due to suspension rope stretch during loading or other unintended motion.
  • Design Electrical safety circuits so that an open circuit does not represent a safe condition and the functioning of the safety circuit should not be solely dependent on a single programmable electronic system.
  • Ensure that the hoist is inoperable during loading and unloading operations.

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

Fatality #2 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c02On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, at approximately 4:00 p.m., a 34-year-old company engineer was killed at a coal preparation facility when he was struck by one of the hydraulic cylinders on a plate-type filter press. A hydraulic cylinder catastrophically failed while the press was in operation. The victim was positioned near the hydraulic cylinders, troubleshooting the operation of the filter press, when the accident occurred. The filter press de-watered the fine coal refuse material generated during the coal cleaning process.

Best Practices

  • When troubleshooting or testing pressurized systems, position yourself in a safe location, away from any potential sources of failure.
  • When possible, block access to areas where pressurized cylinders, tanks, or other vessels are located while the equipment is in operation and under pressure.
  • Train miners in the proper maintenance of and the dangers associated with working around pressurized cylinders, tanks, and other vessels that have the potential to explode or rupture.
  • Ensure the ratings of hydraulic components are compatible with their intended use.
  • Use the proper tools and equipment for the job.
  • Inspect, examine and evaluate all materials that are being used in the installation, replacement, or repair of pressurized systems to ensure they are suitable and meet minimum manufacturer’s specifications.
  • Examine and inspect hydraulic components for defects periodically.

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

Fatality #1 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c01On Saturday, January 26, 2013, a 52-year-old contract welder with 30 years of experience was killed while doing maintenance on a bulldozer. The victim was performing work to remove a damaged wear plate from the bulldozer’s center portion of the blade. At the time of the accident, a hydraulic jack was being used to push the wear plate away from the bulldozer blade. The victim was using an air chisel between the wear plate and the blade. The hydraulic jack slipped while the victim was using the air chisel and he was crushed between the blade and the damaged wear plate.

Best Practices

  • Ensure the power is off and the equipment is blocked against motion prior to performing maintenance.
  • Devise safe methods to complete tasks involving large objects, massive weights, or where the release of stored energy is a possibility.
  • Provide proper task training.
  • Never use a hydraulic jack as the only tool for supporting large objects, massive weights, or objects that have the potential for the release of stored energy.
  • Avoid metal to metal contact because it slides much easier than wood or other materials against metal.
  • Ensure that all contact areas where jacks or other blocking materials are to be installed are free from grease or other substances to decrease the likelihood of shifting and sliding.
  • Ensure that there is sufficient space around equipment to enable work to be performed safely.
  • Consult and follow the manufacturer’s recommended safe work procedures for the maintenance task and monitor work to ensure procedures are followed.
  • Ensure that contractors have safe work procedures in place for the specific task, machine, etc.
  • Before performing any job, consider all hazards and implement formal procedures that address possible hazards.

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

Fatality #2 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m02

On January 21, 2013, a 54-year old mechanic with 6 years of experience was killed at a lime operation. The victim went to a kiln pre-heat deck to repair a leaking hydraulic cylinder that activates a pusher arm on the kiln. He was caught between the corner of the angle iron and the plate connecting the push rods.

Best Practices
 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed along with the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Always follow the equipment manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures when conducting repairs to machinery.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and understand safe job procedures to eliminate all hazards before beginning work.
  • Before working on or near equipment, ensure that the equipment power circuits are locked out/tagged out and that the equipment is blocked against hazardous motion.
  • Require all persons to be positioned to prevent them from being exposed to any hazards.
  • Monitor personnel to ensure safe work procedures, including lock out/ tag out and safe work positioning, are followed.
  • Ensure guarding is in place to cover potential pinch points and moving parts in areas routinely accessed by personnel.

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

Fatality #1 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m01On January 7, 2013, a 49-year old assistant plant manager with 30 years of experience was injured at a crushed stone operation. The victim was working on a lift, taking samples from a highwall, when a large rock fell and struck him. He was hospitalized and died on January 19, 2013.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures for working near highwalls. Identify and control all hazards.
  • Train all persons to recognize adverse conditions and environmental factors that can decrease highwall stability and understand safe job procedures to eliminate all hazards before beginning work.
  • Look, Listen and Evaluate pit and highwall conditions daily, especially after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
  • Remove loose or overhanging material from the face. Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.
  • Ensure that work or travel areas and equipment are a safe distance from the toe of the highwall.

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

Fatality #20 for Coal Mining 2012

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ftl2012c20On Friday, December 14, 2012, a 52-year-old rock truck operator with over 13 years of mining experience fell from the truck he operated while attempting to ascend the access ladder to the operator’s cab. On December 28, 2012, he died of complications from the injuries sustained in the fall.

Best Practices
  • Always use the “Three Points of Contact” method. Ensure that either two hands and one foot, or one hand and two feet are in contact with the ladder at all times when mounting and dismounting equipment.
  • Keep hands free of any objects when mounting or dismounting equipment.
  • Maintain traction by ensuring footwear is free of potential slipping hazards such as dirt, oil, and grease.
  • Always face equipment when mounting or dismounting it.
  • Always maintain and use the access provided by the manufacturer.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Fatality #19 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Friday, November 30, 2012, a 58-year old bulldozer operator with 37 years of experience was killed when an upstream slope failure occurred at a coal slurry impoundment. The victim was grading the upstream slope at the time of the accident. The bulldozer was carried into the pool area during the slide and sank with the victim on board.

Best Practices
  • Provide hazard training to all personnel working on or near an impoundment for recognition of hazards associated with the impoundment and pushout work, such as surface cracks or bubbling in water/slurry.
  • Review safety precautions for upstream construction with equipment operators, along with material handling safety policies and designated storage areas for safety equipment.
  • Provide oversight by knowledgeable personnel at the work site. Assure that a person is present who is familiar with the mechanics of upstream construction and can recognize and have unsafe work practices and conditions corrected immediately.
  • Remove all personnel to a safe location when unsafe impoundment conditions are present.
  • Prior to initiating push-outs, expose the slurry delta by pumping excess surface water down to the maximum extent possible, and for as long as possible.
  • Use two-way radios or similar devices on all equipment during impoundment related construction, so that potential hazards can be communicated quickly with equipment operators and personnel.
  • Maintain a work skiff with oars and life jackets near the pushout area.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Fatality #18 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Friday, November 30, 2012, a 27-year old electrician was killed when he was caught between a battery-powered maintenance scoop and the cutting head of a continuous mining machine. The accident occurred on a working section while the electrician was performing maintenance work on the cutting head of the continuous mining machine, which was parked in an entry.

Best Practices
  • Be aware of your location relative to mobile equipment movement and never position yourself between equipment in motion and a stationary object.
  • Mark the area where equipment is parked for maintenance with conspicuous reflective material, flashing lights, or other warning signs on both sides of the entry or crosscut to warn mobile equipment operators of a parked machine or the presence of other miners.
  • Train miners to establish and use effective communications working around equipment. Ensure that mobile equipment operators are aware of your location at all times.
  • Use approved translucent or transparent ventilation curtains for better visibility. Never put extraneous material or supplies on mobile equipment where it can obstruct the visibility of the machine operator.
  • When operating equipment, sound audible warnings while traveling around turns or blind spots, through ventilation curtains, and at any time the operator’s visibility is limited or obstructed.
  • Install proximity detection systems on all mobile face equipment.

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

Fatality #17 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, November 17, 2012, a 30-year-old continuous mining machine operator was killed when he was pinned between the head of the remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib. The victim had 3 years of mining experience, with 20 weeks of experience as a continuous mining machine operator. The victim had mined the left side of an entry and was repositioning the continuous mining machine to mine the right side when the accident occurred.

Best Practices

  • Install and maintain proximity detection systems. See the proximity detection single source page on the MSHA website.
  • Develop programs, policies, and procedures for starting and tramming remote controlled continuous mining machines.
  • Frequently review, retrain, and discuss avoiding the “RED ZONE” areas when operating or working near a remote controlled continuous mining machine.
  • Train all production crews and management in the programs, policies, and procedures and ensure that they are followed.
  • Ensure that mining machine operators are in a safe location while tramming the continuous mining machine from place to place or repositioning in the entry during cutting and loading.
  • Ensure everyone is outside the machine turning radius before starting or moving the equipment.
  • When moving continuous mining machines where the left and right traction drives are operated independently, low tram speed should be used.
  • Assign another miner to assist the continuous mining machine operator when it is being moved or repositioned. Train all persons in the programs, policies, and procedures for operating or working near remote controlled continuous mining machines. Additional information on preventing these types of accidents can be found at:MSHA’s Safety Targets Program Hit By Underground Equipment.

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

Fatality #17 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On November 1, 2012, a 30-year old contract driller with 6 years of experience was killed at a common shale operation. The victim apparently attempted to thread a new drill steel manually, with the use of a strap and the drill head rotating, when the rotating steel entangled him.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards. Train all persons to recognize all potential hazards and understand safe job procedures to eliminate all hazards before beginning work.
  • Ensure that the manufacturer’s procedures are followed when adding drill steels.
  • Ensure that emergency stop/shut-off switches, panic bars, dead man devices, tethers, slap bars, rope switches, two handed controls, spring loaded controls, are functional and in easily accessible locations.
  • Never manually thread drill steels when the drill head is rotating.
  • Drills should be fitted with automated systems for changing rods, or two persons should be present when rods are changed manually.
  • Do not wear loose fitting clothing when working around drilling machinery. Avoid using a strap or other objects that could become entangled with or thrown from moving or rotating parts.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to ensure procedures are followed.

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