MSHA summit focuses on fatal accidents

MSHA held a special summit with stakeholders, where it examined a recent uptick in fatal accidents.

It provided more detailed information on the 19 deaths at metal and nonmetal mines that occurred since 2013 at crushed stone, sand and gravel, silver, cement, lime, gold, granite, clay and iron ore mining operations in 12 states across the country. Six deaths occurred at underground mines and 13 happened at surface mines.

MSHA also issued a summary of the mining deaths that occurred in the United States during the first quarter of this year.

On-the-job accidents killed eight miners from Jan. 1 to March 31. The previous quarter was marked by 15 deaths and an increase in fatal accidents from the metal and nonmetal sector.

“We have seen a spike in deaths in the second quarter of 2014 as well, primarily in metal and nonmetal mining, which has experienced 19 fatalities since last October,” says Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “MSHA takes this increase very seriously, and has called a summit of the key metal and nonmetal stakeholders to identify the problem and take actions to reverse it.”

During the summit, MSHA said completed investigations shed light on the root causes of some of the accidents. The failure to provide training, including task training; conduct examinations; de-energize power and lock out/tag out; conduct pre-operational checks; maintain mobile equipment and provide and/or wear personal protective equipment were contributing factors, they found.

MSHA says conducting an examination of the workplace during every shift can help prevent deaths if safety and health hazards are found and fixed.

Companies and workers should take these steps to help prevent accidents:

• Train for all persons, including task training, to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work
• Examine work areas to identify all possible hazards and eliminate them before performing work
• Do not perform work until the power is off, locked, and tagged, and machinery components are blocked against motion.
• Conduct pre-operational checks to identify any defects that may affect the safe operation of equipment
• Maintain mobile equipment
• Always wear a seat belt when operating mobile equipment
• Clear and remove all persons from the blast area unless suitable blasting shelters are provided to protect persons from flyrock
• Ensure all active working areas are ventilated prior to allowing miners to work in those areas
• Wear fall protection where there is a danger of falling

“Mine operators need to reevaluate the quality of the training miners are receiving and their examinations of miners’ work places because they appear to be lacking,” Main says. “MSHA will be paying close attention to these deficiencies, as well as the types of hazards and conditions that have led to these deaths, during mine inspections.”