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Safety Hazard Awareness Information Safety Hazard Alerts


As part of an on-going effort to get valuable information to you we are providing Safety Hazard Alerts via the internet. Some of the files will be in HTML format others will be in PDF. Please feel free to print, distribute and otherwise use these files.

  
Current Safety Alerts
 
 Failure to Operate Boom Trucks Safely Using Proper Procedures
  Added 04/27/2009
    In recent years there have been two fatalities and one near miss due to the inappropriate use of boom trucks.

  • See Alert...
  
Previous Safety Alerts
  
 Blasting Alert
    On June 10, 2005, an unplanned detonation of a blast hole occurred at a surface coal mine in Indiana.

  • See Alert
 
 Cable Tester Alert
    Cable fault testers, if used improperly, can kill you. Recently, an experienced electrician received a fatal electrical shock while demonstrating the use of a high-voltage cable testing device.

  • See Alert
 
 Carbo*Prill Fire
    The following incident took place on 23 September, 2008.

    At 5:15 AM, Tuesday, September 23, a Dyno Nobel Transportation driver picked up Carbo*Prill (see Comment and Information section of this document for details) from a storage bin at the Owensboro, KY Riverport Authority site. The Port Authority Loader saw "orange glowing embers" as he loaded the Carbo*Prill into the DNTI trailer.


  • See Alert
 Conveyor Belt Safety
    Don't Get Carried Away Working Around Conveyor Belts

    A miner in Alaska with 32 years of experience was fatally injured at a sand and gravel operation. The victim went behind a conveyor belt take-up pulley guard and used a wood handled shovel to clean under the pulley.

  • See Poster
  • See Presentation -   Powerpoint Version     PDF Version
 Dozer Safety - October 2008
    On October 22, 2008, a dozer operator was fatally injured when the dozer he was operating slipped and rolled sideways down a steep 80 foot incline coming to rest on its left side. This was the fourth accident in five weeks where a dozer operator was either fatally injured or suffered serious life threatening injuries.

  • See Alert
 Electrical Safety at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
  Dated 08/14/2008
    MSHA and the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association have issued two Alerts.

  1. Electrical accidents on mine sites are rarely true accidents...
  2. Electrical Safety at M/NM Mines (Alert)
 Energized Guy Wire Alert
    Energized guy wires have killed two miners in 2006.

  • See Alert
 Explosion Potential at Abandoned Mine Shafts
    The atmosphere in the enclosed space of an abandoned mine shaft may be asphyxiating, toxic, flammable, or explosive. Therefore, work that will breech the seal on an abandoned mine shaft must be done with great care.

  • See Alert
 Explosives Security Reminder

 Gas Inundation of a Strip Mine  

 Fuel Firing Explosions
    36 fuel firing explosions have been reported in the cement industry since 2001:


    • 7 persons were seriously burned or inhaled flames or superheated gases. Numerous others were less seriously injured or narrowly escaped injury.

    • The explosions caused extensive equipment damage and significant system downtime.


    • See Alert
 Gasline and Gaswell Safety Bulletins
 Hand Held or Breast Drill Safety Alerts
 Have I? Safety Questions To Ask Prior To Performing Electrical Work
 Highwall Hazards
 Highwall Stability at Surface Mines
    Old Mines Underground can Undermine Highwall Stability at Surface Mines

  • See Alert
 High-Voltage Switch Maintenance
    Failure to maintain high-voltage switches can kill you.

  • See Alert
 Inundation Prevention Bulletin - Mine Water Inundation Alert!

 Locomotive Cab Position Hazard when Transporting Longwall Shields
    The position of the locomotive motorman is critical when transporting large pieces of equipment, such as longwall shields.

  • See Alert
 Maintenance and Repair Work At Metal and Nonmetal Mines 2006
    Maintenance and repair work usually involves multiple activities
    taking place at the same time.


  • See Alert
 Maintenance and Repair Work at Metal and Nonmetal Mines 2008
 Maintenance Work - Life or Death Experience

 Metal/Nonmetal Fatal Accident Update - October 2008
    Five fatal accidents occurred in the first 17 days of October ...

  • See Alert
 Metal/Nonmetal Hazard Alert
Falling/Sliding Material

  Dated 02/12/2009
    Between January 2006 and January 2009, there have been 10 fatal and 20 non-fatal accidents involving falling/sliding material.

  • See Alert...
 Near Miss Crane Hoisting Incident
 Non-Coal Mining Near Miss Accident Involving Acetylene Cylinder
 Oxygen Safety Bulletin Posted....  
 Powered Haulage Safety at MNM Mines: January 2007 - December 2007
  Dated 12/10/2008
    33 MNM Fatalities: 24% Involved Powered Haulage

  • See Alert
 Rail Car Discharge Doors Alert
    A near-fatal accident occurred when a mechanic working on a rail car was pinned between two air-operated discharge doors that suddenly opened.

  • See Alert
 "RED ZONE" Alerts
 Remote Control Continuous Mining Machine Safety Alert
    "NEVER ENTER THE RED ZONE"
 SAFETY HAZARD ALERT
  Dated 02/06/2009
    Since 1995, there have been 13 fatalities associated with man lifts and bucket trucks. Of these 13 fatalities, 5 occurred at coal mines. The fatalities resulted from fall of persons, roll over, electrocution and crushing incidents. Although man lifts and bucket trucks are different types of equipment, many times they are used for the same purpose and have similar hazards.

  • See Alert...
 Safety Sense - Circuit Breaker Identification
October 2008
  Dated 10/30/2008
    Every year a fatality or serious injury can be attributed to one or all of the above failures. The most recent involved unplugging the wrong circuit for a pump, resulting in serious flash burns. Victims convince themselves that they have a good excuse right up to the time of the accident. Have you heard these…..?

  • See Alert
 Safety Sense - Remote Control Continuous Mining Machines
October 2008
  Dated 10/30/2008
    Remote control continuous mining machine operators continue to lose their lives while tramming these machines. There have been 31 fatalities involving remote control continuous mining machines since 1984, two of which have occurred in 2008.

  • See Alert
 Seat Belt Alert
    Ten miners have been fatally injured in accidents involving mobile equipment this year (2005) in the metal/nonmetal sector of the mining industry.

  • See Alert
 Seat Belts – A Law You Can LIVE With!
 Slips, Trips and Falls at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
  Added 06/12/2008
    MSHA and the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association have issued two Alerts.

  1. 161 Miners Lost Work Time
  2. 30 Injuries Resulted from Unexpected Tool Slippage
 Stakeholders, please read ...
    MSHA is seeking to raise their Stakeholder’s awareness of recent accident trends and any relevant potential hazards during upcoming inspections. Information regarding these trends is being provided in the form of Safety Awareness Bulletins, as well as one-on-one contacts with miners and mine operators.

  • See Bulletins
 Special Hazards of Acetylene

 Slip or Fall of Person Accidents - 11 Miners Died --- 2005 - 2007
  • Four victims did not have or use fall protection.
  • Two victims wore fall protection but did not attach the lanyard.
  • Five victims were contractors.
  • See Alert
  •  Slips, Trips and Falls at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
      Dated 06/12/2008
      MSHA and the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association have issued two Alerts.

    1. 161 Miners Lost Work Time
    2. 30 Injuries Resulted from Unexpected Tool Slippage
     Stop Fall Deaths at Mines
      From April to August 2007, 6 miners were fatally injured when they fell from elevated structures and equipment.

    • See Alert
     Stop the Fatalties
    • As of December 28, 2006, there have been 25 fatalities in the Metal/Nonmetal mining industry. - See Alert
     TASK Training
    • Two fatalities have occurred since January 1, 2007. - See Alert
     Three miners have already been fatally injured and another seriously hurt . . .

     Troubleshooting Around Line Starters
      Electrical troubleshooters need to be aware of a change in the line starters being used in a number of mining machines. The line starters are changing from mechanical contacts to vacuum contacts. With this change, the physical construction has been modified. The insulation barriers between the top lugs on the vacuum contactor have been reduced. The reduction of the insulation barrier can, under some circumstances, allow a troubleshooter to accidentally contact two phases while making a phase-to-phase voltage measurement, causing a short-circuit condition.

    • See Alert
     Use of Chains to Protect From Fall Hazards

     Vehicle Tool Compartment Explosion
      On May 7, 2005, a contractor employee received injuries when an acetylene cylinder exploded at a cement operation. The victim and a co-worker had just parked their utility body service truck and used a 12 volt, wireless remote, key fob to unlock the tool compartments.

    • See Alert
      
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