MSHA has issued a serious accident alert following an incident at a surface limestone mine.
Two miners working from a man-lift, securing electrical cables with zip-ties, positioned the boom of the man-lift in the path of a rack and pinion elevator car.
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When the descending elevator car struck the boom of the man-lift it broke the elevator car off its track causing the elevator car to fall about 30ft to the ground[/caption]
When the descending elevator car struck the boom of the man-lift it broke the elevator car off its track causing the elevator car to fall about 30ft to the ground.
The miner in the elevator car suffered a bruise to his shoulder and the two miners in the man-lift were not injured.
MSHA has the following safety advice to help precent such accidents:
Best Practices
- Choose a safe location when using a manlift. Check the area above, below, and around the manlift, including equipment or machine parts that may enter the area, before beginning work. Recheck the area any time the boom is repositioned
- When repairs or maintenance are performed always ensure the power is off, locked out and tagged out
- Block machinery or equipment against hazardous motion
- Ensure travel ways of personnel elevators are guarded with structure that protects it from coming into contact with other equipment
- Always be aware of your location in relation to machine parts that can move. Ensure that there is adequate space to work.
