Machinery

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 #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).

Fatality #14 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On September 26, 2012, a 79-year old foreman with 56 years of experience was killed when he was run over by the dozer he had been operating. The victim exited the cab and was positioned on the left track checking the engine throttle linkage when the dozer moved forward.

Best Practices
 

  • Inspect equipment before placing it in operation for the shift.
  • Correct safety and operational defects on equipment in a timely manner to prevent the creation of a hazard to persons.
  • Establish safe work procedures and identify and remove hazards before beginning a task.
  • Prior to beginning work, ensure that persons are task-trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed. Know and follow safe work procedures before beginning repairs.
  • Block dozer against motion by lowering the blade and ripper to the ground and setting the parking brake. Set the transmission lock lever to ensure the transmission is in neutral.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.

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

Fatality #12 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Friday, July 27, 2012, at approximately 4:15 a.m., a 35-year-old move crew member with 5 years of mining experience received fatal crushing injuries when he was pinned between the conveyor boom of a remote controlled continuous mining machine and the outby rib of the No. 4 Right Crosscut. The continuous mining machine was moving to an adjacent entry in preparation for the oncoming day shift when the accident occurred.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that all persons, including the continuous mining machine operator, are positioned outside the machine’s turning radius before starting or moving the machine.
  • Maintain clear visibility and communications with all personnel in the vicinity of the equipment, and minimize the number of miners working around or near continuous mining machines.
  • Frequently review, retrain, and discuss the importance of staying out of any “RED ZONE” area while operating or working near a continuous mining machine.  REDZONE2 (pdf) and Continuous Miner Package
  • Position the conveyor boom away from the operator or other miners working in the area when tramming or moving the machine.
  • Install Proximity Detection Systems on continuous mining machines and haulage equipment to prevent these types of injuries and fatalities.
    Proximity Detection Single Source Page

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (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 #5 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, March 17, 2012, a 55-year-old surface foreman with 19 years of mining experience was killed when he was caught between the frame of a highwall miner transportation dolly and a front-end loader with a duck bill attachment.

Best Practices

  • Never position yourself between equipment in motion and a stationary object. Always be aware of your location in relation to machine parts that have the ability to move.
  • Ensure mobile equipment operators are aware of your location at all times.
  • Maintain communication with mobile equipment operators when working in confined areas. Ensure that line of sight, background noise, or other conditions do not interfere with communication.
  • Ensure miners are adequately trained for the task they are performing.
  • Use a tow bar with adequate length and proper rating when towing heavy equipment.
  • Make yourself more visible by wearing brightly-colored clothing or clothing that is distinguishable from surroundings.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #22 for Coal Mining 2011

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On Saturday, December 3, 2011, at approximately 8:35 a.m., a bulldozer operator with 18 years of mining experience was seriously injured when the bulldozer he was operating travelled over a highwall and fell approximately 90 feet to the pit below. The victim was in the process of clearing topsoil from the bench in preparation for the next blast. The victim was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the bulldozer. The victim died on December 6, 2011, from the injuries sustained in this accident.

Best Practices

  • Ensure the ground control plan is adequate for the mining conditions.
  • Perform examinations of ground conditions, and perform additional checks during the work shift to ensure ground conditions have not changed.
  • Mark the limits of travel with pylons or reflectors.
  • Be aware of your location and proximity to the highwall. When operating a bulldozer close to an edge, always keep the blade between you and the edge. Bulldozer operators should not operate their machines parallel to the edge of highwalls.
  • Use a spotter to warn equipment operators when they approach the edge of a highwall.
  • Ensure seat belts are provided, maintained, and worn at all times.
  • Never jump out of equipment.
  • Visit MSHA’s Safety Target Single Source Page for additional safety information concerning bulldozers.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #16 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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On December 15, 2011, a 22 year-old laborer with 3 months of experience was killed at a surface stone operation. The victim, who was last seen on a control tower, fell into an operating jaw crusher.

Best Practices
 

  • Always use fall protection when working where a fall hazard exists.
  • Establish policies and procedures for safely clearing plugged material in a jaw crusher.
  • 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 crushers.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).