A 42-year old miner was killed when the back fell while he was loading explosives in the face, says the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The back consisted of cemented backfill and weighed 150 tonnes.
Best Practices:
- Implement a robust quality control programme to ensure cemented rock fill is mixed and placed properly, especially when it constitutes the main method of ground support.
- Examine and test ground conditions in areas where work is to be performed prior to work commencing and as warranted during the shift. Be alert for changing conditions, especially after activities that could cause back/roof disturbance.
- When ground conditions create a hazard to persons, install additional ground support before other work is permitted in the affected area.
- Task train all persons to recognise all potentially hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards.
