It’s OSHA and Construction which you might also be involved with, so you want to plan to participate now. Otherwise there are still great materials here.
Plan Now for OSHA Stand-Down to Prevent Falls
Slip or Fall of Person
MNM Fatality – 9/1/20
On September 1, 2020, a miner (53 year-old plant helper in Texas with 2 years and 8 weeks of experience*) died when he fell while attempting to close a hatch on the top of a bulk material trailer (at an industrial sand plant with 20 employees). The miner was wearing a fall protection harness but his lanyard was not attached to a secure anchorage.
Best Practices:
- Encourage the use of automated hatches on tanks and trailers.
- Provide and ensure the use of an effective fall arrest and secure anchorage system.
- Provide safe access to all work areas and ensure truck and trailer access and work platforms are properly designed, maintained, and used.
- Examine work areas and equipment. Don’t use unsafe work areas and equipment until repairs are made.
- Refresh miner training on safe work procedures after returning from periods of shutdown, and routinely monitor work habits.
Additional Information:
This is the 15th fatality reported in 2020, and the fourth classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.” *(Italicized details added by safeminers.com)
Click here for Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
National Safety Stand Down
Join the Annual OSHA Stand Down for Falls in the Workplace this week. “Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 320 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2018 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.” [OSHA]
Get training materials and videos at OSHA’s site here.
MSHA Fall Protection Safety Alert
MSHA issued 92 imminent danger orders for people working at heights without fall protection between January 2019 and June 2020. The most common violations were truck drivers climbing atop their vehicles, and maintenance and quarry personnel climbing to or working without fall protection in high places. Supervisors have been ordered down from dangerous locations.
Deaths from falls have increased from 8% to 19% of mining fatalities in the last two years.
MNM Fatality – 6/1/20
On June 1, 2020, a contract truck driver died after falling from the top of his trailer. The victim received first aid/CPR at the scene and passed away after being transported to a local hospital.
Best Practices:
- Discuss work procedures; identify all potential hazards to do the job safely.
- Train everyone to recognize fall hazards and ensure that safe work procedures are discussed and established.
- Include safe truck tarping requirements in site-specific hazard training.
- Provide truck tarping safe access facilities where needed.
- Provide an effective fall arrest secure anchorage system. Ensure that people wear and attach fall protection connecting devices where there is a danger of falling.
- Use automatic tarp deploying systems to prevent people from working from heights.
Additional Information:
This is the 8th fatality reported in 2020, and the third classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
MNM Fatality – 1/23/20
An over-the-road truck driver was found unresponsive near his bulk trailer, where it appears he fell from the top of the trailer. The driver was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery; however, he passed away from his injuries.
Best Practices:
- Provide a means to align bulk trailers under truck racks to assure the ramp is aligned correctly with the trailer’s lids so that miners have safe access. Alignment methods can include painted lines, concrete barriers, cameras and monitors, or sensors to indicate proper positioning.
- Wear proper footwear that is clean and in good condition.
- Examine work areas and routinely monitor work habits to ensure that workers follow safe work procedures.
- Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
2019 Fatality #11 / MNM #7
On July 15, 2019, a plant manager stumbled on a drill bench resulting in a compound heel fracture. While undergoing preoperative procedures for his injured heel on July 19, 2019, he became unresponsive and passed away the following day.
Best Practices:
- Identify and address hazards. Always be aware of your surroundings and any hazards that may be present. Establish and discuss safe work procedures.
- Conduct workplace examinations and risk assessments to identify and correct hazards before working on any task. Examine work areas for hazards
- Provide sufficient illumination in all work areas.
- Train all miners, especially workplace examiners, to recognize and understand safe job procedures. Communicate and correct hazards in a timely manner.
- Prevent slips and trips. Clear the area of tripping and stumbling hazards. Maintain traction by ensuring walkways and footwear are free of potential slipping hazards such as dirt, oil, and grease.
- Stay focused on your work for your safety and the safety of your fellow workers.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
MNM Fatality – 1/8/20
A miner fell into a portable load out bin on January 8, 2020, and died at the scene.
Best Practices:
- Check handrails and gates. Ensure handrails and gates are substantially constructed, properly secured, and free of defects.
- Install mechanical flow-enhancing devices so workers do not have to enter a bin to start or maintain material flow.
- Don’t stand on material stored in bins. Material stored in a bin can bridge over the hopper outlet, creating a hidden void below the material surface.
- Lock-out, tag-out. Do not enter a bin until the supply and discharge equipment is locked out.
- Wear a safety belt or harness secured with a lanyard to an adequate anchor point before entering a bin. Station a second person near the anchor point to make sure there’s no slack in the fall protection system.
- Train all miners to recognize fall hazards and properly use fall protection.
- Provide safe access to all work places, and discuss and establish safe work procedures.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), News Story (web), Obituary (web), Final Report (pdf).
OSHA’s Winter Weather Resources
Outdoor work requires proper preparation, especially in severe winter weather conditions. Although OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, employers have a responsibility to provide workers with employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards, including winter weather related hazards, which are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to them (Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970). Employers should, therefore, train workers on the hazards of the job and safety measures to use, such as engineering controls and safe work practices, that will protect workers’ safety and health.
2019 Fatality #17 / Coal #7
On August 20, 2019, a 20-year-old miner with 27 weeks of mining experience was fatally injured when he fell 40 feet down a shaft, to the concrete floor below. The victim was working with another miner, unloading a refuse kettle attached to an electric hoist, when he went over the unguarded edge of the shaft.
Best Practices:
• Always use fall protection equipment and safety belts with lines, when working at heights and near openings where there is a danger of falling.
• Have properly designed gates, safety chains, handrails, guards, and ensure covers are securely in place at openings through which persons may fall.
• Always be aware of your surroundings and any hazards that may be present.
• Establish and discuss safe work procedures.
• Train personnel in safe work procedures regarding the use of handrails and fall protection equipment, and ensure their use.
• Conduct workplace examinations in order to identify and correct hazards prior to performing work. Report hazards that you cannot immediately correct to management.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf) Final Report (pdf).