Sand and Gravel

Fatality #14 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On September 26, 2012, a 79-year old foreman with 56 years of experience was killed when he was run over by the dozer he had been operating. The victim exited the cab and was positioned on the left track checking the engine throttle linkage when the dozer moved forward.

Best Practices
 

  • Inspect equipment before placing it in operation for the shift.
  • Correct safety and operational defects on equipment in a timely manner to prevent the creation of a hazard to persons.
  • Establish safe work procedures and identify and remove hazards before beginning a task.
  • Prior to beginning work, ensure that persons are task-trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed. Know and follow safe work procedures before beginning repairs.
  • Block dozer against motion by lowering the blade and ripper to the ground and setting the parking brake. Set the transmission lock lever to ensure the transmission is in neutral.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.

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

Fatality #10 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On July 26, 2012, a 49-year old equipment operator with 18 weeks of mining experience was killed at a portable crushing operation. He was standing on the discharge end of a 150-foot stacker belt conveyor, greasing the head pulley, when a coworker started the conveyor. The victim fell off the conveyor approximately 50 feet to the ground below.

Best Practices
 

  • Provide and maintain a safe means of access to all working places.
  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks on belt conveyors.
  • 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 belt conveyors.
  • Block belt conveyors against motion before working near a drive, head, tail, and take-up pulleys.
  • Maintain communications with all persons performing the task. Before starting belt conveyors, ensure that all persons are clear.
  • Sound an audible alarm prior to start up, if the entire length of the belt conveyor is not visible from the starting switch.
  • Clearly label all switches on equipment and provide training to persons who operate and work in the vicinity of equipment.

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

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On May 23, 2012, a 36 year-old foreman with about 9½ years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He was operating an excavator on a dike separating two ponds. The ground beneath the excavator tracks failed and the excavator toppled into one of the ponds.

Best Practices

  • Examine work areas to identify all hazards and remediate before starting any work.
  • Evaluate the stability of the ground (slopes and berms) prior to operating equipment near any drop off or edge.
  • Always be attentive to changes in ground conditions and visibility when operating machinery.
  • Perform the work at a safe distance away from the edge of a pond or where the stability of the ground may be unknown.
  • If a potential hazard is present, use long reach equipment to limit exposure and maintain a safe distance away.
  • Consider areas that have experienced previous slope failures to be unstable and do not approach until the area is evaluated for stability.
  • Wear flotation devices where there is a danger of falling into water.
  • Be alert to changes in ground conditions such as cracking, bulging, sloughing, undercutting, and erosion.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #5 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On April 11, 2012, a 49 year-old excavator operator with approximately 8½ years of experience was injured at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was removing bolts from a counterweight on the back of an excavator when the counterweight fell and struck him. He was hospitalized and died on April 12, 2012, as a result of his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Before working on or near equipment, establish safe work procedures consistent with the design of the machine. Train all persons to recognize and understand these procedures.
  • Follow the equipment manufacturer’s procedures for the work being performed to ensure that all hazards are addressed.
  • Provide adequate task training to persons assigned to perform the work. Utilize assistance from the manufacturer when the equipment incorporates new technology and features.
  • Install blocking materials before removing mounting bolts from machinery components which can fall during disassembly.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #13 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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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.

Best Practices

  • 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).

Fatality #10 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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On September 23, 2011, a 32 year-old plant operator with 10 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was changing a screen in the plant when he fell approximately 56 feet to the ground below. He was standing on a steel rail that had been placed between the midrail of the protective rail surrounding the screen deck work platform and the screen structure.

Best Practices

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Before starting any work, identify and control all hazards.
  • Train all persons to recognize and understand safe job procedures, including the purpose of fall protection barriers and the proper use of fall protection.
  • Always use fall protection when working where a fall hazard exists.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report(pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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On September 13, 2011, a 38 year-old miner with 3 years of experience was killed at a portable sand and gravel operation. The victim opened the 480 volt feeder box at the motor control center and started to remove the leads when he received a fatal shock.

Best Practices

  • Be trained on all the electrical tests and safety equipment necessary to safely test and ground the circuit being worked on.
  • Conduct a risk assessment.
  • Use properly rated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Arc Flash Protection such as a hood, gloves, shirt, and pants.
  • Positively identify the circuit on which work is to be conducted.
  • De-energize power and ensure that the circuit is visibly open.
  • Place YOUR lock and tag on the disconnecting device.
  • Verify the circuit is de-energized by testing for voltage using properly rated test equipment.
  • Ensure ALL electrical components in the enclosure are de-energized.
  • Ground ALL phase conductors to the equipment grounding medium with grounding equipment that is properly rated.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report(pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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On August 9, 2011, a 24-year-old skid-steer loader operator with 12 weeks of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He accessed an elevated platform near an unguarded head pulley and became entangled in the operating conveyor system.

Best Practices

  •  Identify hazards around conveyor systems, design guards, and securely install the guarding.
  • Always provide and maintain guarding sufficient to prevent contact with moving machine parts.
  • Train persons to recognize the hazards associated with performing tasks.
  • Follow established lock-out and tag-out procedures before working on operating systems or moving machine parts.
  • Remain aware of potential hazards in your work area and take actions to eliminate the risks.
  • Do not wear loose fitting clothing when working near moving machine parts.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report(pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #3 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2011

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On February 24, 2011, a 56 year- old equipment operator with 10 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He was cleaning a tramp metal magnet on a belt conveyor when it started.

Best Practices

  • Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks on belt conveyors.
  • Ensure that persons are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work being performed.
  • Deenergize and block belt conveyors against motion before working near a drive, head, tail, take-up pulleys, and magnets.
  • Lock-out/tag-out all power sources before working on belt conveyors.
  • Maintain communications with all persons performing the task. Before starting belt conveyors, ensure that all persons are clear.
  • Provide and maintain a safe means of access to all working places.
  • Sound an audible alarm if the entire length of the belt conveyor is not visible from the starting switch.

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

Fatality #20 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2010

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On November 13, 2010, a 42 year- old contract mechanic with 23 years of experience died at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was underneath a front-end loader, with the engine running, checking a hydraulic fluid leak when the machine moved and rolled over him. The machine was parked on a slight grade, the bucket was raised off the ground, and no wheel chocks were in place.

Best Practices

  • Train persons to recognize work place hazards.
  • Establish safe work procedures before a task is performed and ensure that the safe work procedures are followed.
  • Set the park brake and securely block equipment and components against hazardous motion at all times while performing repair or maintenance work.
  • Do not rely on hydraulic systems to hold mobile equipment stationary during repairs or maintenance.
  • Lower the bucket to the ground when parking mobile equipment.

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