Dipper Bucket - Safety Alert

Lapse in Appropriations

For workplace safety and health, please call 800-321-6742; for mine safety and health, please call 800-746-1553; for Job Corps, please call 800-733-5627 and for Wage and Hour, please call 1-866-487-9243 (1 866-4-US-WAGE).  This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was 10/1/2025.  Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations.

PDF Version

Dipper-Bucket-Safety-Alert10.19.23_0.pdf (443 KB)

Maintenance Hazard on Dipper Buckets

A miner died when a 13-ton steel dipper door he was working on closed, crushing him between the dipper door and the edge of the bucket. Maintenance work on a dipper bucket’s door when it is separated from the bucket is dangerous. Make sure to always have a redundant blocking mechanism when performing such work.

Best Practices

Make sure miners are positioned in a safe location and away from potential pinch point areas.
Securely block equipment against motion before beginning maintenance or repairs.
Assure blocking material is substantial and installed correctly to support and stabilize the load.
Make sure miners conduct repairs according to manufacturer’s recommendations.