On May 24, 2012, a 43-year-old shaft worker with 39 weeks of mining experience died from injuries he received on May 15, 2012. The victim was helping pour concrete in a 30-foot diameter shaft that was under construction. The victim and his coworkers were using a hose to direct concrete into forms that lined the shaft wall. The hose was overloaded as concrete came out of the hopper too fast, which caused the hose to surge. This sudden movement of the hose knocked the victim and his coworkers off their feet, resulting in a fracture to the left leg of the victim. The victim was treated at a local hospital and released. On May 24, 2012, he passed away at his residence as a result of complications of this injury.
Best Practices
- Provide a means to control water, air, concrete, etc., lines when they are pressurized to prevent surges and other unintended movement.
- Train miners on procedures and safety precautions to take if the discharge line becomes plugged or overloaded.
- Provide positive communication between the worker controlling the flow and the workers manually handling the concrete hose.
- Safety chains or guarding should be used at concrete hose discharge location.
- Anchor the discharge line to prevent it from movement in the event of a surge.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).