Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155970
SAFETY WATCH out Tear this ith your are w nnel and sh t perso plan Reversing Hazards Take steps to prevent danger at the dump point with these best practices. compiled by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com Truck drivers working near a dump point should exercise caution. During the 1990s, 25 miners died when their trucks went over the edge of a dump point, and, while less prevalent in recent years, accidents continue to take place. Many incidents occurred at truck-built stockpiles. A common factor among many fatalities was that the truck was dumping above an area where the toe of the pile had been loaded out. When a stockpile has been loaded out, the material can stand at a steep angle, but, in this condition, the berm may be undercut and the edge of the pile is more prone to giving way under the weight of a truck. To prevent accidents, mine operators should ensure that their stockpiling procedures prevent truck drivers from attempting to dump near the edge of a pile where the area below the dump point has been loaded out and over steepened, or the berm is inadequate, or cracks are present. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recommends that drivers "dump short" or dump back from the edge of the pile and push material over, preferably with a track dozer. Its recommended rule-of-thumb is to dump one truck length from the edge. Alternatively, it suggests to routinely "block the ramp." When a customer is to be loaded, the front-end loader operator uses the first bucket or two of material to block the ramp going to the top of the pile, then keeps the ramp blocked until any over-steepened slope conditions have been corrected and an adequate berm has been established around the edge of the pile. MSHA also advises that operators grade dumppoint areas so that trucks are backing up on a slight grade to dump their loads. This allows drivers to control their trucks and keeps the dump area drained and more stable. Finally, it suggests using adequate lighting for night-time operations to improve operator visbility. Information from this Safety Watch is from an actual accident and is provided by the Mine Safety and Health AGGREGATES MANAGER September 2013 Best practices To improve driver safety, use the following best practices: • Wear seat belts whenever operating mobile equipment. • Maintain berms at least mid-axle height on the largest piece of equipment using a roadway. • Visually inspect dumping locations prior to beginning work and as changing conditions warrant. • Dump loads a safe distance back from the edge of a stockpile if it is suspected the ground may fail to support mobile equipment. • Do not dump at the top of a stockpile while material is being loaded out below or near the edge of over-steepened stockpile faces. • Maintain stockpile slopes at the angle of repose. AM On May 27, 2008, a 52-year-old truck driver with two years experience was fatally injured at a surface crushed stone mine. The victim backed a truck to the edge of a stockpile to dump. The truck went over the crest and fell approximately 30 feet to the floor below. Administration. It is meant for general information purposes only. Sponsored by