The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) issued a safety alert following an accident with a portable plant.
According to MSHA, the accident involved miners who were working to unplug a crusher earlier this summer. After an obstruction was cleared, the crusher still would not turn. The miner attempted to manually turn the crusher rotor with a pry bar when his foot was caught in the moving part. Coworkers helped to free him, and he was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
In response to the accident, MSHA offered a number of best practices for the mining industry to follow:
- Conduct a job hazard analysis to identify all potential hazards associated with the work to be performed, and jointly discuss procedures to minimize those hazards.
- Review maintenance procedures to ensure all possible hazards have been identified and appropriate controls are in place to protect miners.
- Make sure everyone is positioned so they are not exposed to the hazards.
- Support or block all components against motion, and personally lock out and tag out equipment.
- Make sure proper equipment and tools are provided and used and that everyone is trained in safe work procedures.
- Follow manufacturer’s specifications and operating procedures.