Surface - Sand and Gravel – On December 15, 2017, a miner unbolted and lowered a point of contact guard exposing the moving conveyor rollers on one side of a stacking conveyor. While standing on the blade of a bulldozer, the victim attempted to dislodge ice buildup and was pulled into the conveyor and sustained severe injuries. The conveyor had not been de-energized, locked out, or blocked against motion.
Best Practices
- Do not perform work on a belt conveyor until the power is off, locked, and tagged, and machinery components are blocked against motion.
- Before beginning any work, ensure that persons assigned to work on belt conveyors are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work to be performed.
- Never clean pulleys or idlers manually while belt conveyors are operating.
- Identify hazards around belt conveyor systems.
- Design and securely install guarding to ensure miners do not contact moving machine parts.
- Do not wear loose fitting clothing when working near moving machine parts.
- Provide emergency stop mechanisms at the control panel(s) and at ground level where maintenance or repair work is performed.