Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government.

MNM Serious Accident Alert - Surface - Ladder

PDF Version

Surface – Stone On March 7, 2018, a welder was installing a caged ladder on a screening deck when the ladder suddenly fell, striking his hard hat. While sitting down on the walkway of the screening deck to recover, the miner passed out and fell through the opening between the mid rail and toe board 15 feet to the ground. He was transported to a nearby hospital with a critical spinal injury.

Best Practices
  • Use proper rigging to secure objects from falling, and block suspended objects against motion prior to beginning work.
  • Immediately evaluate any injuries to miners and remove them to a secure area if possible.
  • Conduct a job hazard analysis to identify all potential hazards associated with the work to be performed, and jointly discuss procedures to minimize those hazards.
  • Review maintenance procedures to ensure all possible hazards have been identified and appropriate controls are in place to protect miners.
  • Make sure everyone is positioned so they are not exposed to the hazards.
  • Use appropriate fall protection where there is a danger of falling.