| Current Safety Alerts |
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Excavator Blocking Issue
Added 07/27/2010
Raising a hydraulic excavator to perform maintenance or repair introduces hazards to persons working around the machine. It has been found that repair shops have raised and blocked the entire machine and then lowered the bucket to the floor to provide stability.
See Alert
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Metal/Nonmetal Fatality Alert
Added 06/09/2010
5 Metal and Nonmetal Miners Died In May 2010
See Alert
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| Previous Safety Alerts |
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Blasting Alert
Dated 05/06/2010
This blasting hazard alert pertains to Orica Uni tronic™ 500 electronic detonators date coded before November 15, 2009. Orica has issued a recall of these detonators. The Orica recall notice is included as part of this blasting alert
See Alert
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Blasting Alert
On June 10, 2005, an unplanned detonation of a blast hole occurred at a surface coal mine in Indiana.
See Alert
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Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms
Dated 07/07/2009
Part 1 - Inspection - Working in an elevating work platform is an inherently hazardous operation. Workers risk severe or fatal injuries from falls.
Part 2 - Operation - The hazards associated with using elevating work platforms can be minimized if the work is accomplished using the appropriate machine for the specific work and job site, and following the manufacturer's machine operating procedures.
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Cable Tester Alert
Cable fault testers, if used improperly, can kill you. Recently, an
experienced electrician received a fatal electrical shock while demonstrating the use of a high-voltage cable testing device.
See Alert
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Carbo*Prill Fire
The following incident took place on 23 September, 2008.
At 5:15 AM, Tuesday, September 23, a Dyno Nobel Transportation driver picked up Carbo*Prill (see Comment
and Information section of this document for details) from a storage bin at the Owensboro, KY Riverport
Authority site. The Port Authority Loader saw "orange glowing embers" as he loaded the Carbo*Prill into the
DNTI trailer.
See Alert |
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Conveyor Belt Safety
Don't Get Carried Away Working Around Conveyor Belts
A miner in Alaska with 32 years of experience was fatally injured at a sand and gravel operation. The victim went behind a conveyor belt take-up pulley guard and used a wood handled shovel to clean under the pulley.
- See Poster
- See Presentation - Powerpoint Version PDF Version
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Dangers of PVC Primer and Cement
Dated 07/10/2009
Three pipefitters were injured when a PVC pipeline exploded at a coal prep plant. A stray spark from an electric arc welder fell into the open end of a pipe assembly igniting highly flammable PVC pipe-joint cement vapor that was trapped inside the newly installed pipe.
See Alert
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Dozer Safety - October 2008
On October 22, 2008, a dozer operator was fatally injured when the dozer he was operating
slipped and rolled sideways down a steep 80 foot incline coming to rest on its left side. This
was the fourth accident in five weeks where a dozer operator was either fatally injured or
suffered serious life threatening injuries.
See Alert
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Electrical Safety at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
Dated 08/14/2008
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Energized Guy Wire Alert
Energized guy wires have killed two miners in 2006.
- See Alert
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Explosion Potential at Abandoned Mine Shafts
The atmosphere in the enclosed space of an abandoned mine shaft may be
asphyxiating, toxic, flammable, or explosive. Therefore, work that will breech the
seal on an abandoned mine shaft must be done with great care.
- See Alert
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Explosives Security Reminder
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Failure to Operate Boom Trucks Safely Using Proper Procedures
Added 04/27/2009
In recent years there have been two fatalities and one near miss due to the inappropriate use of boom trucks.
- See Alert...
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Fuel Firing Explosions
36 fuel firing explosions have been reported in the cement industry since 2001:
- 7 persons were seriously burned or inhaled flames or superheated gases. Numerous others were less seriously injured or narrowly
escaped injury.
- The explosions caused extensive equipment damage and significant system downtime.
- See Alert
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Gas Inundation of a Strip Mine
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Gasline and Gaswell Safety Bulletins
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Hand Held or Breast Drill Safety Alerts
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Have I? Safety Questions To Ask Prior To Performing Electrical Work
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Highwall Hazards
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Highwall Stability at Surface Mines
Old Mines Underground can Undermine Highwall Stability at Surface Mines
- See Alert
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High-Voltage Switch Maintenance
Failure to maintain high-voltage switches can kill you.
- See Alert
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Inundation Prevention Bulletin - Mine Water Inundation Alert!
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Locomotive Cab Position Hazard when Transporting Longwall Shields
The position of the locomotive motorman is critical when transporting large pieces of equipment, such as longwall shields.
- See Alert
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Maintenance and Repair Work At Metal and Nonmetal Mines 2006
Maintenance and repair work usually involves multiple activities
taking place at the same time.
- See Alert
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Maintenance and Repair Work at Metal and Nonmetal Mines 2008
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Maintenance Work - Life or Death Experience
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Metal/Nonmetal Fatal Accidents April 7 - May 4, 2009 Dated 05/08/2009
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Metal/Nonmetal Hazard Alert Falling/Sliding Material Dated 02/12/2009
Between January 2006 and January 2009, there have been 10 fatal and 20 non-fatal accidents involving falling/sliding material.
- See Alert...
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Near Miss Crane Hoisting Incident
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Non-Coal Mining Near Miss Accident
Involving Acetylene Cylinder
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Oxygen Safety Bulletin Posted....
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Oxygen Safety In Refuge Alternatives Added 11/20/2009
A portable Refuge Alternative, Shelter, or Chamber will provide miners protection in the event of a mine emergency. The unit can sustain miners for 96 hours as they await rescue. In order to provide the 96 hours of breathable air for miners, the refuge alternatives are equipped with high-pressure compressed oxygen cylinders. The oxygen delivery system remains in a "ready state" until it is "deployed" by miners during a mine emergency.
See Alert
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Powered Haulage Safety at MNM Mines: January 2007 - December 2007
Dated 12/10/2008
33 MNM Fatalities: 24% Involved Powered Haulage
- See Alert
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Rail Car Discharge Doors Alert
A near-fatal accident occurred when a mechanic working on a rail car was pinned between two air-operated discharge doors that suddenly opened.
- See Alert
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"RED ZONE" Alerts
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Remote Control Continuous Mining Machine Safety Alert
"NEVER ENTER THE RED ZONE"
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SAFETY HAZARD ALERT
Dated 02/06/2009
Since 1995, there have been 13 fatalities associated with man lifts and bucket trucks. Of these 13 fatalities, 5 occurred at coal mines. The fatalities resulted from fall of persons, roll over, electrocution and crushing incidents. Although man lifts and bucket trucks are different types of equipment, many times they are used for the same purpose and have similar hazards.
- See Alert...
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Safety Sense - Circuit Breaker Identification October 2008
Dated 10/30/2008
Every year a fatality or serious injury can be attributed to one or all of the above failures. The most recent involved unplugging the wrong circuit for a pump, resulting in serious flash burns. Victims convince themselves that they have a good excuse right up to the time of the accident. Have you heard these…..?
- See Alert
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Safety Sense - Remote Control Continuous Mining Machines October 2008
Dated 10/30/2008
Remote control continuous mining machine operators continue to lose their lives while tramming these machines. There have been 31 fatalities involving remote control continuous mining machines since 1984, two of which have occurred in 2008.
- See Alert
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Seat Belt Alert
Ten miners have been fatally injured in accidents involving mobile equipment this year (2005) in the metal/nonmetal sector of the mining industry.
- See Alert
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Seat Belts – A Law You Can LIVE With!
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Slips, Trips and Falls at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
Added 06/12/2008
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Stakeholders, please read ...
MSHA is seeking to raise their Stakeholder’s awareness of recent accident trends and any relevant potential hazards during upcoming inspections. Information regarding these trends is being provided in the form of Safety Awareness Bulletins, as well as one-on-one contacts with miners and mine operators.
- See Bulletins
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Special Hazards of Acetylene
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Slip or Fall of Person Accidents - 11 Miners Died --- 2005 - 2007
- Four victims did not have or use fall protection.
- Two victims wore fall protection but did not
attach the lanyard.
- Five victims were contractors.
See Alert
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Slips, Trips and Falls at MNM Mines --- January 2007 - December 2007
Dated 06/12/2008
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Stop Fall Deaths at Mines
From April to August 2007, 6 miners were fatally injured when they
fell from elevated structures and equipment.
- See Alert
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Stop the Fatalties
- As of December 28, 2006, there have been 25 fatalities in the Metal/Nonmetal mining industry. - See Alert
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TASK Training
- Two fatalities have occurred since January 1, 2007. - See Alert
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Three miners have already been fatally injured and another seriously hurt . . .
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Troubleshooting Around Line Starters
Electrical troubleshooters need to be aware of a change in the line starters being used in a number of mining machines. The line starters are changing from mechanical contacts to vacuum contacts. With this change, the physical construction has been modified. The insulation barriers between the top lugs on the vacuum contactor have been reduced. The reduction of the insulation barrier can, under some circumstances, allow a troubleshooter to accidentally contact two phases while making a phase-to-phase voltage measurement, causing a short-circuit condition.
- See Alert
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Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines - Fire Hazard Alert
Dated 04/27/2010
24 UG MNM Mine Fires Have Occurred From 1/1/2007 to 3/19/2010
See Alert
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Use of Chains to Protect From Fall Hazards
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Vehicle Tool Compartment Explosion
On May 7, 2005, a contractor employee received injuries when an acetylene cylinder exploded at a cement operation. The victim and a co-worker had just parked their utility body service truck and used a 12 volt, wireless remote, key fob to unlock the tool compartments.
- See Alert
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