Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85639
SAFETY WATCH Slow, Steady, and Safe compiled by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief Follow these common-sense best practices to help avoid machinery accidents. Equipment operation is consistently one of the leading causes of surface mining fatalities. The Mine Safety and Health Administration reports between 2000 and 2008 there were 72 fatalities involving equipment operations in surface operations. Of these, 19 were a direct result of operating equipment in an unsafe or incorrect manner, 14 were traveling over a dump point, 13 were traveling over a highwall, 10 were operating equipment beyond design lim- its or capabilities, seven were due to lack of familiarity with haul roads, five were traveling too fast, and four were drill entanglements. Consider the following recommendations for safe operation of equipment. DOs • Do wear your seatbelt. Every year, five to six miners die because they don't buckle up. • Do maintain your braking system. • Do conduct a pre-operational check of your equipment. • Do operate machinery at safe speeds at all times. • Do keep the blade of a dozer between you and the edge of the highwall. • Do dump short and push material over the edge. • Do have berms mid-axle height of the largest vehicle. • Do have clearly marked roadways and road signs posted. DON'Ts • Don't attempt to jump from your vehicle in an emergency. The accident: On Jan. 27, 2006, a 60-year-old heavy equipment operator with 10 years mining experience was fatally injured at a crushed stone operation. In the early morning, he was running a dozer and preparing a bench for drilling. The dozer traveled over the edge of a 50-foot highwall and fell to the quarry floor, submerging the cab in several feet of mud and water. • Don't operate equipment if there are safety defects. • Don't run equipment without a pre-operational check. • Don't travel in reverse for extended distances when it is possible to travel forward. • Don't overload haulage equipment. This will prevent spillage. AM Information from this Safety Watch is from an actual accident and is provided by the Mine Safety and Health AGGREGATES MANAGER March 2012 Administration. It is meant for general information purposes only. Sponsored by The bottom line: The accident occurred because the miner was operating a dozer in a work area without enough light to provide safe working conditions. He had maneuvered the dozer backwards over a 5-foot berm near the edge of the highwall. The miner was not wearing his seatbelt. and share with your plant personnel Tear this out