Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/594078
29 AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015 SPECIAL REPORT During a discussion with Main, I pointed out that a poten- tially important missing ingredient is heightened emphasis on the miner's individual responsibility for working safely and for encouraging other miners to do so as well. I suggested MSHA might consider bringing back SLAM, a miner-focused program it championed years ago. SLAM is designed to train the miner to stop, look, analyze, and manage risks before beginning a task and while doing it. Main acknowledged that the miner's role in safety is a worthwhile discussion point to have with the industry. In an effort to determine where MSHA might focus its en- forcement resources, I reviewed 22 fatal accidents that have occurred at aggregate mines since October 2013. The goal was to identify what alleged violations MSHA's investigators believed led to the fatality. Citations alleging training failures, most notably task training, stood out. A breakdown of all allegedly contributing violations appears in Figure 1. Main also signaled his intention to release another Rules to Live By (RTLB) "within the next two or three months." Priority standards in the forthcoming RTLB will supplement 13 such M/NM standards that were a part of RTLB I in January 2010 and six others included in RTLB III in January 2012. Although MSHA's earlier fatality prevention endeavors were not successful, as previously noted, as of this writing not a single M/NM miner had lost his or her life on the job since the latest push began. Time will tell if this early encouraging sign signifi es a trend. Although the jury is still out on fatalities, the fact that industry and MSHA have joined hands is itself a very positive development. The unifi ed effort has not been lost on Jacomet. "We've got a great opportunity here to decrease our injuries and fatalities," he says. "MSHA has shown they're willing to go the extra mile, and I think our folks have become more engaged because of MSHA's emphasis and outreach." AM With Topcon by your side, staying connected just got a whole lot easier for your entire crew. Go the distance with a range of geopositioning solutions including fully robotic total station systems, proven integrated GNSS receivers and intelligent software. WITH YOU ALL THE WAY GEOPOSITIONING SOLUTIONS topconpositioning.com Untitled-3 1 10/19/15 9:17 AM James Sharpe is a certifi ed industrial hygienist. He previously served as vice president of safety and health services for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. Sharpe has also covered mine safety and health news for nearly a decade.