On November 7, 2011, an 82 year-old owner/crusher operator with 27 years of experience was killed at a surface crushed stone operation. The victim was attempting to dislodge material from the vibrating feed hopper when he slipped or fell into the operating jaw crusher.
- Establish policies and procedures for safely clearing plugged material in a feed hopper. Evaluate design modifications or use auxiliary equipment to reduce the risks associated with clearing an obstruction.
- Ensure that persons are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
- Deenergize and Lock-out/tag-out all power sources before working on crushers.
- Provide and maintain a safe means of access to all working places.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report(pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview (pdf).