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Murphy's Laws for Coal Mine Safety
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- If you are moving section equipment on track to a new location, an accident or problem can happen.
- If you assume something has been done, it probably has not.
- If slippage rollers are not being checked every shift, they probably won't work when you need them.
- If the coal seam is not well drilled and conditions well defined, most of your surprises will be unpleasant.
- The roof always falls 2 feet higher than the ATRS will reach.
- If a belt splice has been reported to need changing, it will probably not last to the end of the shift.
- If you are working on an elevated platform and you think you need a safety rope, you probably do.
- If you are mining under excellent roof conditions, as soon as someone ventures out from under supports, the roof is likely to fall.
- If a safe job procedure for a new piece of equipment or new process is not developed by the employees doing the work, someone will probably get hurt.
- Anything unusual, different, or varying from the daily routine is a high percentage accident activity. Change requires careful planning and supervision.
- If you think you are the only person in the mine, or a section of the mine, and you are contemplating crossing over an idle conveyor, someone will probably start the belts at the exact time when you are on the conveyor.
- If you don't bother locking and tagging a plug, someone will likely plug it in.
- If you are traveling on track without dispatcher clearance or a block light system, you will almost always encounter a trip of rock or supplies on a blind curve.
- If you can't find emergency roof support supplies on the section, that is the day that you will need them.
- If the section foreman doesn't take centers at least four times while mining a belt entry, it will usually be mined off sites.
- When, for whatever reason, there is no transportation on a working section, an emergency will often arise which requires it.
- The first time any piece of electrical equipment is energized, it will usually be phased wrong.
- If the proceeding shift mentions that the roof in an area needs to be looked at, chances are it will need to be rebolted and at least 10 cribs set.
- If the batteries or electrical equipment are not color coded and a battery program is not strictly enforced, they will almost always go dead in the middle of the shift.
- Unmarked low crossbars, beams or roof over manways will probably be the scene of an accident.
- If a thunderstorm is in the general area, the fan and probably all of the power will go off.
- If beltmen, electricians or mechanics are using utility knives and cutting towards themselves, you can probably count on having a reportable injury.
- Any time proper pre-op checks are not made on a piece of equipment, something is probably defective which will contribute toward an accident.
- If recovered conveyor belt rolls are not measured and clearly marked, they will almost always be the wrong size when sent in for a belt move.
- If something in a working place seems wrong and the hair stands up on the back of your neck, back out and study the situation - something probably is wrong. Fix it before proceeding.
- The day when you have given a 30 minute presentation on your super maintenance software program to your company's CEO and the head of MSHA, that is the day the mantrip will breakdown on the way in.
- During a very complicated air change, the chances of the mine foreman getting call outs of the desired quantity are increased directly proportionately with the amount of hours the change drags on.
- If you have not positively established air pressure relationships between 2 areas of the mine projected to cut together, the air will almost always move in the direction opposite of what you thought.
- All section crews report that they were left in "bad shape" by the preceeding shift.
- Pieces of equipment that before ran perfectly, will not run when they are moved to a new location.
- Someone will pump water onto the conveyor belts at some time.
- On a new longwall face, the cable will almost always be pulled out of the shearer or mid face box on the first pass.
- The amount of coal miner units report is directly proportioned to how well the longwall is doing.
- Nearly every mine jeep will have a lifting jack or bar missing.
- If a track switch is not properly aligned and gapped even slightly, some piece of rail equipment will likely split the switch and cause a wreck.
- Crews that don't hold regular safety meetings will almost always be the least productive.