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MSHA Job Safety Tips


Suggested Safety Measures for Operating Equipment on Surge Piles

Accidents can occur at surge piles when a person, or a piece of equipment, is drawn down into the feeding material. Feeding material acts like “quicksand.”

Another danger is that a person or piece of equipment can fall into a hidden cavity above a feeder when the bridged over material collapses.

The following safety suggestions apply to surge piles where equipment, normally a dozer, operates directly on the stockpiled material, to push the material to the feeder openings.
  • Never operate equipment directly over a feeder.

  • Never walk on stockpiled material in the area of a feeder.

  • Always operate equipment with it facing the feeder.

  • Indicate feeder locations with an overhead marker.

  • Use signal lights to indicate an active feeder.

  • Use equipment with a fully-enclosed cab.

  • Equip the cab with self-contained self-rescuers.

  • Equip the cab with a two-way radio.

  • Have adequate illumination at night.

  • Before starting a feeder, check that miners or equipment are not in the area.

  • Have operators in their equipment and on the pile early in the loading operation so that they can observe how the material is feeding.

  • Operate with the drawhole kept nearly full to avoid having equipment drawn into it.

  • Get training on the potential hazards and safety precautions.

  • Have a chart in the cab indicating expected drawhole size for different pile heights.

  • Notify the supervisor if a cavity forms or is suspected.

  • To eliminate a cavity, remove material, starting from well off to the side of the possible cavity and away from other feeders.

  • Consider using a video camera and monitor if the surge pile cannot be seen from the control panel.

  • Have contingency plans in place should a piece of equipment become trapped.

    U.S. Department of Labor
    Mine Safety and Health Administration



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