Fatality #10 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m10On August 5, 2013, a 55-year old plant manager with 5 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone operation. The victim looked into an operating crusher and a tooth, that broke free from an excavator bucket, was ejected from the crusher and struck him.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss policies and procedures for safely clearing a cone crusher. Consider a mechanical method for clearing material to minimize exposure to persons performing the work.
  • Task train persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
  • Before working on or near equipment, ensure the equipment power is off and locked out/tagged out. Ensure the equipment has been securely blocked against hazardous motion to ensure energy cannot be released while performing work.
  • Always maintain equipment in a safe operating condition.
  • Provide a safe means of access for persons required to maintain a cone crusher.
  • Provide guards, shields, or other devices to protect persons from the hazard of flying or falling materials generated from the operation of screens, crushers, or conveyors.
  • Implement measures to ensure persons are properly positioned and protected from hazards while performing a task.

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

Fatality #10 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c10On Tuesday, July 2, 2013, a 35-year old continuous mining machine operator (victim), with 11 years mining experience, was killed when he was struck by a battery-powered coal hauler and pinned between the coal hauler and the coal rib. The victim was taking a lunch break behind a line curtain the No. 4 entry and the intersection of the last open crosscut, which was in the haulage route to the continuous mining machine.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that all persons are positioned to avoid danger from moving equipment. Never position yourself in an area or location where equipment operators cannot readily see you.
  • Use proximity detection systems to protect personnel from accidents of this type. See the proximity detection single source page on the MSHA web site.
  • Use transparent curtain for check and line curtains in the active face areas.
  • Sound audible warnings when the equipment operator’s visibility is obstructed, such as when making turns, reversing direction, or approaching ventilation curtains. Assure that the sound level of audible warnings is significantly higher than that of the ambient noise.
  • Energize the lights in the direction of travel when operating haulage equipment.
  • Equipment operators should come to a complete stop and sound an audible warning before proceeding through ventilation controls.

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

It’s the Law… Depending Where You Are

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seatbeltWhat ARE the seatbelt laws across the country. My own state of Pennsylvania is in the minority with no Primary seat belt enforcement, meaning you have to be stopped for another infraction to receive a fine for not wearing a seat belt. I happen to like Wyoming which, although it has no primary enforcement either, you get a $10 reduction on your other fine if you had your seat belt on! Wow, positive reinforcement on the highway!

If you’re traveling across the company you can use the information on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s web page to stay within the law. Better yet, ALWAYS BUCKLE UP!

Click Here for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Seat Belt and Child Restraint Laws for all 50 States

Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m09On June 13, 2013, a 50-year old mechanic with 15 years of experience was killed at a stone operation. He was operating a 35 ton articulated haul truck down a haul road. The truck went out of control and hit a berm, propelling it in the air. The truck came to a stop with the bed overturned and the cab upright. The victim was ejected from the truck.

Best Practices

  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Do not operate mobile equipment with reported brake problems. Use other means to move the mobile equipment to a safe area for inspection and repair.
  • Ensure that mobile equipment operators are task trained adequately in all phases of mobile equipment operation, including the mobile equipment’s capabilities, operating ranges, load-limits and safety features, before operating mobile equipment.
  • Maintain equipment steering and braking systems in good repair and adjustment. Always follow the manufacturer’s service and maintenance schedules.
  • Never rely on engine brakes and transmission retarders as substitutes for keeping brakes properly maintained.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks to ensure the service brakes 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.
  • Do not attempt to exit or jump from moving mobile equipment.

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

Fatality #8 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m08On June 2, 2013, a 42-year old miner with 2½ years of experience was killed at an underground gold mine. The victim was operating a Load Haul Dump (LHD), preparing to backfill a stope, when the LHD overtraveled the edge of the stope and fell into the open hole.

Best Practices

  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks.
  • Before beginning any work, ensure that persons are properly task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work to be performed.
  • Provide berms, bumper blocks, safety hooks or similar impeding devices at dumping locations where there is a hazard of overtravel or overturning.

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

Fatality #9 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c09On Thursday, June 6, 2013, a 36-year-old conveyor belt foreman with 4 years of mining experience was killed while checking a belt wiper at the belt conveyor discharge. He was positioned at the end of an elevated catwalk parallel to the belt drive to check the wiper. When the victim contacted the guardrail at the end of the catwalk, it gave way and he fell below onto the moving belt conveyor.

Best Practices

  • Check guards along belt conveyors for stability and good repair.
  • Train all employees thoroughly on the dangers of working or traveling around moving conveyor belts.
  • Install appropriately-designed railings, barriers, or covers at all required conveyor belt locations, and ensure it is maintained in structurally sound condition.
  • Perform thorough workplace examinations. Inspect the work areas for all potential hazards including places that persons may fall from or through.
  • Provide belt conveyor stop and start controls at areas where miners must access both sides of the conveyor. Provide these areas with adequate crossing facilities (e.g. cross-overs or cross-unders).
  • Do not assume handrails or guards are strong enough to support you, and never lean against or support your weight on guarding.

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

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

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ftl2013m07

On May 17, 2013, a 22-year old mucker with 31 weeks of experience was killed at an underground molybdenum mine. The victim was checking a derailed loaded ore car when he was pinned between it and another loaded ore car.

Best Practices

  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks.
  • Before beginning any work, ensure that persons are properly task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work to be performed.
  • Maintain communications with all persons performing the task.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and ensure that all braking systems on mobile equipment are functioning properly.
  • Do not work or cross between rail cars unless the locomotive is stopped and the operator is notified and acknowledges your presence.
  • Never place yourself between rail cars without blocking them to prevent movement.
  • Maintain the track and track mounted equipment to prevent derails.

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