2002 MNM Fatalilties

7/31/2019 2002 MNM Fatalilties

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2002 Metal/Non-Metal Fatalities



January 21, 2002, a 23 year-oldutility person with 5 yearsmining experience was fatallyinjured at a surface cementoperation. The victim wasfatally injured when heclimbed into a silo to unplug ablockage and was engulfed bymaterial.

A safety harness attached to a lifeline should always be used when persons enter silos,hoppers or surge piles. A second person should constantly adjust the lifeline toeliminate slack.

Safe access should be provided and maintained to all working places.

Silos should be equipped with mechanical devices or other effective means of handlingmaterial so persons are not required to work where they are exposed to entrapment bysliding material.



February 1, 2002, a 38 year-old

ledge foreman with 10 yearsmining experience, died of injurieshe received on January 14, 2002,when he fell 28 feet at a dimensionstone quarry. The victim waspositioned between a grout bucketand a ladder near the edge of theledge. When a large rock wasloaded into the bucket, it tippedand knocked the victim off theledge.

A safety harness and a life line should be worn when persons work where there is arisk of injury from a fall.Safe access should be provided and maintained to and from all work areas.Railings or cables should be installed when persons are required to work or travel near the edge of a ledge.

Safe work procedures should be established prior to commencing tasks.



February 13, 2002, a 53-year-old

electrician with five years miningexperience was fatally injured at acrushed stone operation. The victimand several coworkers werechanging a generator on a power shovel. In preparation for lifting the

generator, a hoist that was mountedoverhead on an I-beam was beingtrammed into position when it ranoff the end of the I-beam, fell andstruck the victim who wasperforming work below.



Mechanical stops should be installed to prevent over

travel of rail mounted hoists.Procedures that evaluate possible hazards and

assure prompt corrective action should beimplemented prior to work beginning.

Mechanical equipment should be inspected prior touse and all defects should be promptly corrected.



April 22, 2002, a 22 year-old drill

operator with one year miningexperience was fatally injured at adimension stone quarry. The victimwas drilling in the quarry when hisclothing became entangled in therotating drill steel.

Equipment operators should stopdrill rotation when performing tasksnear the rotating steel.

Loose fitting clothing should not beworn when working around drillingmachinery.



June 1, 2002, a 32 year-oldconveyor attendant with 5years mining experience wasfatally injured at an open pitcopper operation. The victim

became entangled in a tripper conveyor pulley.

Always lock out or block moving machinery against motion before working nearbyunless all pulleys and pinch points are guarded or located where persons can notcontact them.

Ensure that accessible pinch points on conveyor pulleys are guarded from contact.

Establish and enforce policies that prohibit work or travel near unguarded machinerycomponents.



June 3, 2002, a 41 year-old

maintenance mechanic with 11years mining experience wasfatally injured at a cementoperation. The victim and co-workers had cleared a pluggedchute and then jogged the kilnfeed bucket elevator to makesure it was free. The elevator drive assembly failed and thevictim was struck by metalfragments.

Locate operating controls for pumps, motors and rotating components away frompotential trajectory paths.

Test all safety systems, including reverse movement protection features, on a regular basis.

Establish a schedule for rebuilding or replacement of equipment.



June 12, 2002, a 35-year-oldmaintenance worker with 7years mining experiencewas fatally injured at analumina operation. Thevictim was drilling out scalethat had accumulated insideheater tank pipes. The drillmotor, detached from thegear box, fell from the drillmast and struck the victim.



Establish procedures that require scheduled inspections andmaintenance of equipment.

Ensure adequate pre-operational checks are conducted and identifiedneeds for maintenance are properly addressed.

Ensure component fasteners meet or exceed manufacturer'sspecifications and are adequately tightened.

Provide backup secure methods for components subjected to constantvibration.



August 6, 2002, a 47-year-oldcontract switchman with 25years of experience, was fatallyinjured at a trona mine. Theaccident occurred at night. Thevictim, switching cars at asurface load out area, wascaught between a 15-car trainhe was riding and a stationarycar as the train moved.

Provide illumination sufficient to recognize hazards in all work areas.

Identify possible hazards and safe work procedures before moving rail cars.

Provide communications between personnel assigned to move rail cars.

Maintain continuous clearance of at least 30 inches from the farthest projection of

moving railroad equipment on at least one side of the tracks.



August 17, 2002, a 31-year-oldcontract miner with 4 years of experience was fatally injured in atunnel construction project at anopen pit copper mine. A transformer switch, mounted on a rail car, wasbeing moved forward asconstruction advanced. The victimwas electrocuted when he contacteda 480 volt cable and a junction box tomove them from rubbing the rail car.The cable and junction box were partof the lighting system located alongthe side of the tunnel.



Protect circuits against excessive overloads by fuses or breakers of the correct type and capacity.

Ensure that all metal enclosing or encasing electrical circuits isgrounded or provided with equivalent protection.

Provide equipment grounding conductors, with a sufficiently lowimpedance to limit the voltage to ground, for metal enclosures.



September 16, 2002, a 42year-old welder with 2years mining experiencewas fatally injured at acrushed stone operation.The victim was lying on awet, metal screen deckwelding a wear plate in aconfined area when heapparently touched theenergized welding rod to

his chest and received anelectrical shock.



Establish procedures that require welders to cover metal withapproved insulated mats or dry wood when lying to weld in

confined areas.

Ensure that maintenance activities are planned and possiblehazards are eliminated.

Provide the proper supplies and equipment to complete alltasks.



September 23, 2002, a 30year-old contractemployee with 18 monthsexperience was fatallyinjured at a cement plant.The victim apparentlyclimbed out of theelevated man lift platformto gain access to a worklocation on the metal roof when he lost his footing

and fell 46 feet to theground.



Train all employees, including contractors, in hazardrecognition and ensure they follow all safety requirements.

Establish secure anchor locations and require harnessesattached to secure lines be utilized by persons at elevatedlocations.

Maintain continuous fall protection when working at elevatedlocations.



October 12, 2002, a 52-year-oldco-owner of a sand and graveloperation was fatally injured.The victim accompanied her husband to the mine to assist insetting up a new weighingfacility while he used a front-endloader to fill in dirt around thenewly installed truck scales.Apparently the victiminadvertently walked into the

path of the loader as it wasbacking.



Establish procedures that prohibit entering the work area of mobile equipment unless the operator is aware of your

presence.Ensure that you make eye contact with mobile equipment

operators before approaching their work areas.



October 17, 2002, a 45-year-oldfront-end loader operator, with11 years mining experience wasfatally injured at a sand andgravel operation. The victim anda coworker were positioned on aconveyor attaching liftingchains suspended from thebucket of a track mounted backhoe. The victim was caughtbetween the back hoe bucket

and the conveyor frame whenthe boom and bucket movedunexpectedly.



Identify possible hazards and take necessary action to ensuresafe operation prior to beginning repair or maintenance tasks.

Block all equipment or machinery components to preventpossible movement.

Establish procedures that require mobile man lifts be usedwhere safe access is not provided.



October 24, 2002, a 27-year-oldfuel handler with 2 years 7months mining experience wasfatally injured at a cementoperation. The victim wasattempting to bleed air from theliquid waste-fuel system whenthe in-line grinder ruptured. Theescaping waste fuel ignited,engulfing the victim in flames.

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Ensure process safety management principles are used to identifypossible hazards related to waste fuel handling.

Establish safe work procedures and train employees for each task,

including a general knowledge of the system and its hazards.Ensure all safety system monitoring and shutdowns are installed

correctly, are operational and are tested periodically.

Ensure appropriate personal protective equipment, including fireretardant clothing is worn by all persons entering or working in areaswhere hazardous/flammable material spills or releases are possible.

Locate pump start/stop switches remotely and require pumps be shutdown prior to bleeding off pressurized waste fuel systems.

Ensure in-line pressure relief devices are installed on all pressurizedwaste fuel systems.

Install flow sensing devices which automatically shut down the pump if

flow stops for any critical period of time.



October 17, 2002, a 49-year-old minerescue team trainer with 26 yearsmining experience and a 38-year-oldco-trainer with 2 years miningexperience were fatally injured, at anabandoned underground gold mine.Both were participating under oxygenin an exercise to evaluate conditionsin this mine. As the team was walkingup the steep decline to return to thesurface, the victims experienced

breathing difficulties and collapsed.The first victim was pronounced deadat the scene. The second victim wastransported to a medical facilitywhere he succumbed to his injuries

on October 23, 2002.



Ensure all self contained breathing apparatus are properlychecked and equipped as to manufacturers recommendations

prior to their use.During non emergency exercises, ensure that underground

mine areas that rescue teams plan to enter are ventilated andfree of serious hazards.

Maintain continuous communications with the surfacewhenever mine rescue personnel encounter toxic gases,explosive gases or any conditions that pose serious danger.

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2002 MNM Fatalilties