Surface - Basalt – On December 11, 2017, miners were preparing for a shot. The miners were positioned about 130 yards from the face. One miner was standing between a pickup truck and an excavator; the other two were under the excavator. The shot detonated prematurely, without warning. The miners were struck with debris resulting in injuries.
Best Practices
• Consider mine specific conditions and rock strata when designing blasts to prevent fly rock.
• Closely follow mine policies and procedures through all phases of the blasting operation.
• Schedule blasting between shifts or on off-shifts.
• Utilize suitable blast shelters for all persons at the mine site during blasting.
• Use restricted areas for non-enclosed blasting operations.
• Keep coworkers away from the blaster.
• Always consider past ‘Fly Rock’ when determining your Blast Area and your Blast Area should as a minimum be 1 ½ times the furthest distance that any previous Fly Rock has traveled.