Arlington, VA — Concerned about a recent series of fatal and nonfatal incidents related to operating mobile equipment, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.
MSHA says mobile equipment was involved in 13 of the 20 mining deaths it has recorded so far this year, as well as more than 150 reported incidents. The agency says these incidents can be prevented “by examiners and mobile equipment operators looking for hazards above, below, in front, behind and beside” equipment.
Examples:
Above: Overhead powerlines, loose and unconsolidated rock on highwalls, etc.
Below: Unconsolidated ground, bench conditions, voids in material, etc.
Front, behind, beside: Other equipment, unconsolidated ground, dump points, miners on foot, roadway hazards, berms, etc.
Agency best practices for operating mobile equipment:
- Perform adequate workplace and ground condition examinations on roadways, benches, unconsolidated ground and dump sites. Correct hazardous conditions or relocate mobile equipment.
- Conduct adequate preoperational examinations on mobile equipment. Remove mobile equipment from service until the equipment is repaired if safety defects are found.
- Follow safe operational practices and parking procedures. Park equipment on level ground, lower booms and buckets to the ground, and chock wheels.
- Always wear a seat belt. Don’t jump from moving equipment.
- Train mobile equipment operators to recognize and understand warnings in the manufacturer’s manual and on mobile equipment decals.
- Ensure the written safety program for surface mobile equipment is updated to address mining conditions or practices that may adversely affect the health and safety of miners or other people.
