On August 22, 2018, a 29-year old miner with 1 year of experience was fatally injured while cleaning a snub pulley. The victim was working from an aerial lift located under the belt conveyor when he became entangled in the conveyor pulley.
Best Practices
- Ensure that persons assigned to clean conveyor belts have received adequate training and verify that safe belt conveyor work practices are followed.
- Stay clear of moving equipment and do not reach into any part of a moving conveyor.
- Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing when working around moving conveyor belt components.
- Verify that all incoming power connectors are open by a circuit breaker, the conveyor is stopped and secured from movement before working on belt conveyors.
- Provide and maintain safe access to elevated areas where routine maintenance is performed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).