A miner was using an air hammer to break up a large rock while working on clearing a jammed primary crusher, when a dislodged rock slid down, pinning the miner’s feet – in a report by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The victim was pinned for nearly an hour before being freed and taken to a nearby hospital for observation.
Best Practices:
- Establish policies and follow manufacturer’s recommended procedures for conducting specific tasks on crushers. Implement measures to ensure miners are positioned safely and protected from hazards while performing the task.
- Task train persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
- Do not work below unsecured material.
- Remove excess material by mechanical means where possible before the cause of the blockage can be dealt.
- When removal of material by hand is necessary, the crusher and associated plant must be stopped and isolated.
- Manual removal should only be carried out by suitably trained and competent persons.
