MSHA issues alert on rotating conveyor rollers

Arlington, VA — Spurred by recent incidents involving rotating conveyor rollers that resulted in permanent disabilities for three miners, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

MSHA says serious injuries and fatalities can result when miners follow unsafe actions while cleaning or adjusting in-motion conveyor rollers, pulleys and idlers. Those actions include:

• Using aerial lifts to access elevated bend, snub and take-up pulleys.
• Removing or reaching around guards to work on moving conveyor components.
• Using scrapers, shovels, pry bars, hammers and torches to remove ice, mud or buildup; these tools may get caught in pinch points between the conveyor belt and rollers, pulling in the tools and miners’ hands, arms and bodies.

The alert highlights one recent case in which a miner lost a thumb after removing a guard to clean a rotating bend pulley with a 15-inch pry bar.

Best practices for safe operation around rotating conveyor rollers include:

• Keep guards in place. Don’t defeat or circumvent any protective system.
• Establish an effective lockout program. Shut down, de-energize and lock out power switches, and block conveyor parts against hazardous motion before performing belt roller or pulley cleaning, belt tracking, or other maintenance.
• Develop policies and procedures to ensure proper and safe cleaning and maintenance of conveyor components.
• Provide task and site-specific hazard training that prohibits cleaning or working on or around moving conveyor components.
• Follow safe cleaning and maintenance policies and procedures.