I am pleased to announce a major initiative called
"Rules to Live By", aimed at improving
safety and health and preventing fatalities and serious accidents in America's
mines. Through a first phase of industry
outreach and education followed by enhanced enforcement beginning on March 15,
the focus will be on 24 frequently cited standards (11 in coal mining and 13 in
metal/nonmetal mining) whose violations have caused or contributed to nearly
half the fatal accidents in the mining industry since 2000.. The goal of "Rules to Live By" is to reduce
deaths and injuries from the targeted standards by having mine operators
identify and correct all hazardous conditions and to have MSHA enforcement be
directed toward confirming that violations related to these conditions are not
present at mines.
In 2009, mining fatalities fell to an all-time low
for the second straight year - this is a testament to the commitment of miners,
mine operators, miners' representatives, labor and industry organizations,
state grantees, members of the mining community, and MSHA personnel. While the mining community achieved a record
low number of mining deaths in the
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Falls from Elevation
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Operating
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Operating
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Maintenance
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Lock and Tag Out
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Struck by
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Struck by
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Blocking Against Motion
The 24 priority standards and conditions for
focused enforcement are:
MNM Priority Standards:
Conditions for Focused Enforcement
56.9101 - Operating speeds and control of equipment
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Equipment operator not maintaining control of
equipment while in motion.
–
Operating speeds not consistent with the
conditions.
56.12017 - Work on power circuits
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Power circuits not de-energized before working on
circuits.
–
Switches not locked out or other measures taken to
prevent power circuits from being energized without knowledge of individuals
working on them.
56.14101(a) (includes all subparts) - Brake performance
Type of condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Service brakes not capable of stopping and holding
equipment with its typical load on maximum grade it travels.
–
Parking brakes not capable of holding equipment
with its typical load on maximum grade it travels.
–
A brake system component not maintained in a
functional condition.
56.14105 - Procedures during repairs or maintenance
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Machinery or equipment not blocked against motion
during repairs or maintenance.
–
Equipment not effectively de-energized.
–
Persons not protected against hazardous motion
during testing or adjustments.
56.14130(g) - Seat belts shall be worn by equipment operators
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Failure to wear seatbelts while
operating mobile equipment.
56.14131(a) - Seat belts shall be provided and worn in haul
trucks
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Seatbelts not worn when operating or riding in haul
truck.
56.14205 - Machinery, equipment, and tools used beyond design
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Using machinery, equipment, or tools beyond design
capacity intended by manufacturer.
56.14207 - Parking procedures for unattended equipment
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Mobile equipment left unattended and controls not
placed in park position.
–
Provided parking brake not set.
–
Mobile equipment parked on grade and wheels/ tracks
not chocked or turned into a bank.
56.15005 - Safety belts and lines
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Persons not wearing fall protection when exposed to
fall hazard.
56.16002(c) - Bins, hoppers, silos, tanks, and surge piles
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Persons entering bins, tanks, hoppers or surge
piles not wearing fall protection where there is fall hazard.
–
A second person not provided to tend lifeline.
–
Persons entering bins and hoppers when flow of
materials has not ceased and/or supply and discharge equipment not locked out.
–
Safe access in and around working areas not
provided.
56.16009 - Persons shall stay clear of suspended loads
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Persons failing to stay clear of suspended loads.
56.20011 - Barricades and warning signs
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Barricades or warning signs not posted at all
approaches where health or safety hazards exist that are not immediately
obvious.
57.3360 - Ground support use
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Necessary ground support not designed, installed,
and maintained in areas where persons work or travel.
Coal
Priority Standards: Conditions for
Focused Enforcement
75.202 (includes all subparts) - Roof, face, and ribs shall be supported and no
person shall work or travel under unsupported roof
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Work or travel under/ by unsupported roof or rib.
–
Incompetent roof and ribs not scaled down.
–
Additional roof support not provided.
75.220(a)(1) - Develop and follow approved roof control plan
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Failure to install supplemental support or take
additional measures when adverse roof conditions are encountered.
–
Body positioning prohibited by plan.
–
Unsafe pillar recovery identified.
–
Excessive cut depth (deeper than approved cut depth
in plan) identified.
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Excessive roof bolt spacing (use PIL No. 108-V-7
for guidance) identified.
–
Visible warning devices not provided.
–
Wide entries identified.
75.511 - No electrical work shall be performed on energized
low, medium, or high-voltage distribution
circuits or equipment
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Electrical work performed by non-qualified person.
–
Failure to lock out and tag disconnecting devices
prior to performing electrical work.
75.1403-10(i) - Off-track haulage roadways shall be maintained–
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Haulage roadways not maintained free of bottom
irregularities, debris and wet, muddy conditions.
75.1725(a) - Equipment shall be maintained in safe operating
condition or removed from service
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Mobile and stationary machinery and equipment not
maintained in safe operating condition:
–
Remote
control tram interlocks are taped up or otherwise disarmed.
–
Operating
controls have been altered or stick unintentionally.
–
Safety interlocks on mobile
bridge conveyors defective or fouled with debris.
–
Operator compartment doors or
shields removed.
75.1725(c) - No repairs until power off and blocked
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Repairs or maintenance performed on machinery
without removing power.
–
Machinery not blocked against hazardous motion.
–
Hydraulic repairs conducted on pressurized hoses
and fittings
77.404(c) - No repairs or maintenance shall be performed until
the power is off and machinery is blocked
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Repairs or maintenance performed with power on.
–
Machinery not blocked against motion.
77.1607(g) - All persons shall be clear before starting or
moving equipment
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Failure to ensure that all persons are clear before
starting or moving equipment.
77.1607(n) -
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Brakes not set on unattended mobile equipment.
–
Wheels on mobile equipment not blocked or turned
into bank/ berm when parked on grade.
77.1710(g) - Safety belts and lines shall be used where there is
a danger of falling
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Failure to wear fall protection where danger of
falling.
77.1710(i) - Seatbelts shall be worn in a vehicle where there is
a danger of overturning and where roll protection is provided
Condition(s) leading to fatalities:
–
Failure to wear seatbelts.
All of us - MSHA, mine operators, miners,
independent contractors, and miners' representatives must focus on why these
accidents happen and how to prevent them. As part of MSHA's outreach, the agency will
provide operators program and resource information. MSHA will also reach out to engage miners and
miners' representatives during the course of MSHA inspections in the prevention
of injuries and fatalities. This
includes dissemination of appropriate compliance assistance materials such as
engineering suggestions, safety target materials packages, and other
information resources to ensure that mine operators and miners have information
available to address and eliminate workplace hazards
Beginning March 15, MSHA will also focus more
attention and enforcement activity on these 24 standards and accident
categories with enhanced enforcement, increased scrutiny for violations of
these standards, and instructions to inspectors to carefully evaluate gravity
and negligence, consistent with the seriousness of the violation, when citing
violations of standards that cause or contribute to mining fatalities.
Compliance with safety and health standards is the
responsibility of mine operators. While
MSHA supports education and outreach efforts to assist the mining industry in
improving mine safety and health, MSHA is charged with ensuring consistent and
strict compliance with safety and health standards, and expects operators to
foster a culture of zero tolerance for violations in their operations,
including violations by independent contractors.
Please visit MSHA's
"Rules to Live By" single-source web page for detailed information.
One death is too many. Working together, we can end fatalities in the nation's mines.
Prevent
Fatalities - Rules to Live By
