Metal/Nonmetal

Fatality #22 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m22On December 10, 2013, a 27-year old deck hand with 4 years and 8 months of experience drowned at a dredge operation. He was working on a dredge that had a barge attached to it. The victim stepped on the barge and fell into the water.

Best Practices

  • Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
  • Always wear a life jacket where there is a danger of falling into the water.
  • Remove snow and ice from work areas.
  • Ensure safe access is provided where persons are required to work or travel. Maintain three points of contact.
  • Install and use lifeline tie-off runs and fall protection.
  • Provide communication devices and establish procedures requiring persons to alert coworkers when they are outside the dredge’s handrails.

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

Fatality #21 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m21On December 13, 2013, a 53-year old utility worker with 19 years of experience was killed at a sand mine. The victim was standing near the edge of a bank when it collapsed engulfing him.

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.
  • Evaluate all pit, highwall, slope, and bank conditions daily. Be especially vigilant for these conditions after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
  • Slope trenches back at a stable angle or install shoring when working in and around trenches.
  • Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.

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

Fatality #20 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m20On December 6, 2013, a 61-year old reagent handler with 39 years of experience was killed at an iron ore mine. The victim was working on top of a snow and ice covered railroad tanker car when he fell to a concrete floor approximately 12 feet below.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. 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 ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
  • Remove snow and ice from work areas.
  • Always use fall protection with a lanyard anchored securely when working where there is a danger of falling.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Fatality #19 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m19On December 4, 2013, a 63-year old lead man with 16 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone mine. The victim initiated a blast and was struck by flyrock from the blast. He was standing 153 feet from the nearest blast hole and was struck by rock as large as 19 inches long by 14 inches wide by 7 inches thick.

 

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 in safe work procedures.
  • Maintain and use all available methods of communication, such as sirens and radios, to warn persons of an impending blast. Establish methods to ensure that all persons are out of the blasting area.
  • Guard or barricade all access routes to the blasting area to prevent the passage of persons or vehicles.
  • Before firing a blast, give ample warning to allow all persons to be evacuated.
  • Clear and remove all persons from the blasting area unless suitable blasting shelters are provided to protect persons from flyrock.
  • Verify that the blasting procedures are effective and being followed at all times.

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

Fatality #18 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m18On November 18, 2013, a 33-year old contract electrician foreman with 14 years of experience was injured at a crushed stone mine. The victim was working in a 480-volt electrical enclosure, pulling cable for a new pump that was being installed, when he contacted energized conductors. He was transported to a hospital where he died on November 22, 2013.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that persons are trained on all electrical tests and safety equipment necessary to safely test and ground the circuit where work is to be performed.
  • Positively identify the circuit on which work is to be conducted.
  • De-energize power and ensure that the circuit is visibly open for circuits being worked on and circuits near the work area.
  • Lock and Tag! Place YOUR lock and tag on the disconnecting device.
  • Use properly rated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Arc Flash Protection such as a hood, gloves, shirt, and pants.
  • Ensure ALL electrical components in the enclosure are de-energized by testing for voltage using properly rated test equipment.
  • Install warning labels on the terminal covers of bottom feed circuit breakers warning that “Bottom terminal lugs remain energized when the circuit breaker is open.”

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

Fatality #16 & 17 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m1617On November 17, 2013, a 33-year old powderman trainee with 5 weeks of experience and a 59-year old shift supervisor with 36 years of experience were killed at a silver mine. The two miners were in an area of the mine where explosives had been detonated the day before. Other miners working in the area were able to evacuate. Mine rescue teams entered the mine, found the two victims, and brought them to the surface. During the recovery operation, rescue teams detected fatal levels of carbon monoxide. Twenty miners were taken to the hospital and three were kept overnight.

Best Practices

  • Conduct effective workplace examinations. Identify all hazards and take action to correct them.
  • Ensure all active working areas are ventilated prior to allowing miners to work in those areas.
  • Monitor gasses as frequently as necessary to determine the adequacy of control measures.
  • Use properly maintained and calibrated gas detection instruments with alarms for concentrations outside of safe limits that are audible and visual.
  • Ensure all miners are trained to recognize all potential hazards and emergency procedures, including evacuation procedures.
  • Dispose of damaged or deteriorated explosive material in a safe manner in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Fatality #15 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m15On November 7, 2013, a 46-year old equipment operator with 27 years of experience was killed at a granite mine. The victim was operating a haul truck when it veered off the left side of a haul road and traveled through a berm. The haul truck went over an embankment and overturned in a settling pond.

Best Practices

  • Provide and maintain adequate berms or guardrails on the banks of roadways where a drop-off exists.
  • Conduct pre-operational checks to identify and correct any defects that may affect the safe operation prior to operating mobile equipment.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Stay alert while operating mobile equipment.
  • Ensure traffic rules, signals, and warning signs are posted and obeyed.

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

Fatality #14 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m14On October 17, 2013, a 52-year old electrician with 5 years of experience was injured at a cement operation. The victim was standing on a step ladder, pulling cable in a cable tray. The mounting bracket for the tray broke loose from the wall and the tray struck the step ladder. The victim fell 5 feet from the ladder, striking his head on the concrete floor. The victim was transported to a hospital where he died on October 19, 2013.

Best Practices
 

  • Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when installing a cable tray on a supporting structure.
  • Ensure that the correct anchors are used and that the supporting structures are adequate when installing a cable tray.
  • Always be aware of your surroundings and any hazards that may be present.
  • Properly position ladders used to reach elevated areas.

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

Fatality #13 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m13On September 19, 2013, a 32-year old laborer with 14 years of experience was killed at a dimension stone operation. The victim was operating a 2½ ton truck up a steep roadway. He was hauling water tanks in the bed of the truck when the load shifted and the truck overturned, crushing him.

Best Practices

  • Task train mobile equipment operators adequately and ensure they demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks prior to operating mobile equipment.
  • Ensure that loads are stable and secured before transporting.
  • Never exceed equipment manufacturer’s load limits.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.

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

Fatality #12 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2013

renewcomerLeave a comment

ftl2013m12On September 18, 2013, a 56-year old front-end loader operator with 16 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone operation. The victim was attempting to remove a rock from a pug mill hopper when he was engulfed by the material in the hopper.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss policies and procedures for safely clearing a hopper.
  • Equip hoppers with mechanical devices or other effective means of handling material so persons are not required to work where they are exposed to entrapment by sliding material.
  • Install a heavy screen (grizzly) to control the size of material and prevent clogging.
  • 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 that the discharge operating controls are deenergized and locked out.
  • 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 (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).