A miner was injured on 9 July when the conveyor belt he was standing on unexpectedly moved, says the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). He was standing on the conveyor to repair the crushing plant engine. The engine was started, activated the conveyor movement and knocked the miner down and conveyed feet-first up to the head pulley.
The victim was then discharged into feed hopper six feet below. He was able to get his feet and cling to the inside of the hopper wall’s edge. Other miners heard screams for help, shut down the engine and rescued the miner.
The MSHA has issued best practice guidelines following the incident.
• Do not perform work on belt conveyors or crushers until the power is off, locked, and tagged,
and machinery components are blocked against motion.
• Establish policies and follow manufacturer’s recommended procedures for conducting specific
tasks on crushers. Inspect the work areas for all potential hazards including places that
persons may fall from or through.
• Implement measures to ensure miners are positioned safely and protected from hazards while
performing the task. Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards.
• Task train persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job
procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
• Provide a visible and/or audible system, with a start-up delay, to warn persons that a belt
conveyor will begin moving.
