Facility – Cement – On August 14, 2017, a miner suffered burns to his body when hot, fine material was flushed out of a kiln dust collector hopper entry port. The miner had removed the cover plate from the hopper’s entryway and was beginning to unchoke the hopper, when the hot, fine material flowed out.
Best Practices
- Wear appropriate protective clothing when working around superheated materials.
- Provide safe access to, from and around all workplaces. Ensure that there is adequate space to work. Install and use remote cameras or similar technologies that provide a view of the interior of the hopper prior to accessing or removing the cover plate.
- Install vibrators and/or air cannons on bins to prevent material from clogging or creating an obstruction.
- Stay out of the line of fire when unchoking vessels, chutes and hoppers.
- Develop safe work procedures when performing hazardous tasks. Always follow established work procedures from your company and the equipment manufacturer.
- Instruct supervisors, trainers and workers on safe job procedures and how to recognize and avoid hazards.