On December 19, 2016, a 62-year old Front-end Loader Operator with 6 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a sand and gravel surface mine. The victim was engulfed by sand when entered a hopper to remove a blockage.

Best Practices

• Task train persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
• Train miners in safe work procedures and hazard recognition, specifically when clearing blocked hoppers.
• Ensure employees use proper housekeeping procedures in order to avoid extraneous trash from inadvertently entering feed hoppers.
• Establish and discuss policies and procedures for safely clearing hoppers.
• Equip hoppers with mechanical devices, grates/grizzlies or other effective means of handling material so persons are not required to work where they are exposed to entrapment by sliding material.
• Before working on or near equipment, ensure that the discharge operating controls are deenergized and locked out and ensure that material cannot discharge when the feeder is not activated.
• Wear a safety harness and lanyard, which is securely anchored and tended by another person, prior to entering bins, hoppers, tanks, or silos.

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

On February 26, 2016, a truck driver delivering multiple sections of polyurethane pipe was struck by a section of pipe during the unloading process. A forklift removed two sections of pipe from the passenger side of the truck, and then left the area with the two sections. While the forklift was away, a single, unsecured section of pipe rolled off on the driver’s side of the truck and struck the victim. Each section of pipe was approximately 50’ long and weighed approximately 1,750 pounds. Miners began first aid but the driver was unresponsive. He was transported to the local hospital and later died.

Best Practices

• Analyze all tasks, identify possible hazards prior and eliminate the risks prior to beginning work.
• Before beginning work, establish safe work procedures, train and discuss with all persons performing the task.
• Examine work areas during the shift for hazards that may be created as a result of the work being performed.
• Evaluate the stability of the material before unfastening a load. Pay particular attention to loads that may have shifted or become unstable during transport.
• Install secondary supports (side stakes) of adequate height and strength to prevent material from falling when the load is unfastened; or prior to unfastening the material, secure the item being unloaded to the machine used in the unloading process.
• Stand clear of items of massive weights having the potential of becoming off-balanced while being loaded or unloaded.
• Implement measures to ensure persons are properly positioned and protected from hazards while performing a task. Ground personnel should be highly visible. Unauthorized persons should be kept clear of the area.

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

On August 3, 2015, a 64-year old miner with 44 weeks experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine. The victim was operating a front-end loader, loading trucks from a stockpile, when he exited the loader. While outside the loader, the approximate 35-foot high stockpile slope failed and engulfed the victim between the stockpile and the loader.

Best Practices

• Ensure that miners are adequately trained in determining the stability of a stockpile. Any unconsolidated material sloped above its natural angle of repose is, by definition, UNSTABLE and potentially DANGEROUS.
• Ensure that equipment on site has the capability to trim stockpiles safely.
• Ensure that equipment is parked in a safe location before exiting the vehicle.
• Ensure adequate work place examinations are performed and promptly correct hazardous conditions that adversely affect safety and health.

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

On June 30, 2015, a 65-year old equipment operator with 19 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel surface mine. The victim was operating a front-end loader and was removing material from a sand bank when the bank collapsed and engulfed the machine and entered the operator’s cab causing the victim to be asphyxiated.

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.
• Observe and evaluate all pit, highwall, slope, and bank conditions prior to beginning work and throughout the shift to ensure safety. Be especially vigilant for these conditions after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
• Provide equipment cabs strong enough to resist burial pressure.

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

On January 8, 2015, a 63-year old sales manager with 11 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine. He was installing new screen panels in the B tower screen. The feeder box pivoted, pinning him between the box and the rear support beam of the screen deck.

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.
• Securely block equipment and components against hazardous motion at all times while performing work.
• Ensure that blocking material is competent, substantial, and adequate to support the load.
• Require all persons to be positioned to prevent them from being exposed to any hazards.  Do not work in pinch points where inadvertent movement could cause injury.
• Monitor all persons to ensure safe work procedures, including safe work positioning, are followed.

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

On August 2, 2014, a 53-year-old plant operator with 25 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine.  The victim was working under the raised bed of a dump truck when the wooden block supporting the load suddenly failed, allowing the bed to fall and pin him.  The victim was working alone and was not found until 10 a.m. on August 3, 2014.

Best Practices

• Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and use methods to properly protect persons.
• Ensure that persons are trained, including task-training, to understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
• Before working on equipment, block all raised components against hazardous motion and ensure persons are positioned in a safe location.
• Follow the safe work procedures provided by the manufacturer when performing all maintenance or repair work.  If provided, always use the manufacturer’s provided safety device or features for securing components against hazardous motion.
• Ensure that blocking material is competent, substantial, and adequate to support and stabilize the load.  Blocking must be strong enough and secured to prevent any unintended movement.
• Never block with steel on steel or depend on hydraulics to support a load.  Mechanical blocking can be achieved by installing a hinged prop leg.
• Do not assign a person to work alone in areas where hazardous conditions exist that would endanger his or her safety.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

On 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).