On Wednesday, June 4, 2014, a 25-year-old contract equipment operator with 24 weeks of experience was killed when he was crushed between the hood and frame of an impact crusher. The victim had just finished clearing a large rock from the crusher area when the accident occurred.
Best Practices
- Establish policies and procedures for safely clearing plugged material in a feeder hopper or crusher.
- Consult and follow the manufacturer’s recommended safe work procedures for conducting the task.
- Ensure that persons are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
- De-energize and lock-out/tag-out all power sources before working on equipment.
- Ensure moving parts on machinery are blocked against motion before beginning maintenance or repairs.
- Ensure that blocking material is competent, substantial, and adequate to support and stabilize the load.
- Maintain equipment in safe working condition. Ensure safety devices are working properly.
- Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards.
- Monitor all personnel, with an emphasis on miners new to a task, routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).