Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government.

MNM Serious Accident Alert Surface - Maintenance

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

Surface - Sand and Gravel – On November 3, 2017, a miner was injured while removing the teeth from an excavator bucket with a sledge hammer.  As the miner was striking one of the teeth, a small piece of metal sheared off the sledge hammer and struck the miner in the leg. 

Best Practices
  • Examine your work place for all possible hazards and correct them before you perform work.
  • Inspect hand tools before and after use.
  • Remove defective tools from service.
  • Follow the manufacturers’ recommended safe work procedures for the maintenance task and monitor work to ensure procedures are followed.
  • Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while performing work.