MSHA safety alert focused on water hazards

The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) issued a hazard alert and best practices for miners who work near water.

According to MSHA, 24 water-related fatalities have occurred in the metal/nonmetal sector since 2005. The risks MSHA identifies for miners in this area are traveling or operating equipment near water; equipment weight and vibration; undercut banks; sloughing ground; varied water depth; swift currents; inadequate berms; narrow roadways; and electrocution.

MSHA suggests operations follow a number of best practices related to water hazards, including conducting daily workplace exams; knowing water depth and subsurface and ground conditions before beginning work; keeping equipment a safe distance back from the water’s edge; avoiding travel over ice-covered water; providing handrails around docks and workboats; properly berming roadways near water hazards; always wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I or Type V personal flotation device (PFD) when working around water, even when inside mobile equipment; knowing where extra PFDs and rescue rings are stowed; making water rescue equipment easily accessible; and keeping all travel ways clear around water hazards.