IS IT TIME FOR A SAFETY STAND DOWN?
By Harold Hough 

            When the American Air Force or Naval Air Force have a string of accidents, they stop operations for a “safety stand down.”  That “stand down” gives everyone from pilots to mechanics a day to review safety procedures and look at improvements. 
Maybe it’s time for the mining industry to do the same.    The Upper Big Branch Mine accident was only one of several major headline grabbing mining accidents, starting with the Sago mine disaster in 2006, that have hurt the industry’s reputation and given our enemies ammunition to restrict mining. 
            True, mining isn’t as deadly as it was 100 years ago.  And, the trend since 2006 has been positive.  But one major accident like the Upper Big Branch can wipe out all the good work from hundreds of mines.
            So, maybe it’s time for your mine to stand down for a day in order to focus on safety.  The Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) have tried to highlight ways that mines can reduce fatalities.  Here are some of their recommendations:
            FOCUS ON MAINTENANCE PRACTICES.  Half of mining deaths are related to maintenance.  Maintenance involves heavy weights, electrical power, compressed air, and hazardous chemicals, so it’s a dangerous environment. 
            One of the most important things to remember is to make sure heavy equipment is blocked or chocked before working it.  An example occurred on June 8, 2007, when a technician was fatally injured at an iron ore mine. The victim was lifting a section of pipeline with a 20-ton crane. The outriggers were not used and the crane tipped onto its side. The victim jumped or fell and was crushed when the crane landed on him.  In another case, a contractor died when the heavy equipment he was working on fell off the supporting jacks.
            Power sources are also a threat and miners have to remember that there are other power sources that pose threats.  One is compressed air, which poses a serious threat.  Compressed air hosed can cause miners to trip if they are strung across the maintenance floor.  They also need to be kept free of grease and oil to prevent deterioration (which is another reason to keep them off the floor).  Maintenance personnel also need to secure them so they will not start whipping around if they are accidentally cut or broken.
            HAULAGE.  This remains a major safety threat to miners, especially as hauling equipment grows heavier and larger.  In fact, one miners has already lost his life to this type of accident in 2010.  Heavy equipment has more inertia behind it and consequently speeds that might be considered safe by an operator might be hazardous.  For instance, several 2007 haulage accidents were caused by operators who lost control of their equipment, which went off the haulage road.  In some cases, they went though berms or barriers that would have slowed smaller equipment.
            Several actions can be taken to reduce this type of risk.  Obviously making sure operators travel at safe speeds is critical.  They also have to keep their seatbelts on while working.  But, road design can also be critical to a safer work place.  Roads need to be wide enough, with large turn arounds.  They should also be smooth and well tended so the tires maintain contact rather than bouncing.  Generous berms along roadways and benches will also make it harder for haulage equipment to go off the road.
            Equipment maintenance is also critical to preventing haulage accidents.  Equipment must be inspected and repaired before operating.  Maintenance and operations managers have to also make sure that the braking systems are capable of stopping and holding equipment when loaded and operating under the road conditions at the site, not under ideal conditions.
            GROUND CONTROL.  Another safety threat is ground control.  We often think of cave-ins in underground mines, but two people died in surface operations in 2010 so far as a result of shifting material.
            The answer to this problem is being aware of angles.  Mines must maintain stockpile slope angles so they won’t slide.  They also have to make sure that trench and wall angles are safe or supported.
            Operators are also a critical part of ground control safety.  Operators have to make sure that they don’t undercut high walls or piles of material when loading.  They need to make sure that loose or unconsolidated rock is cleaned up.
            If the rest of 2010 is to be a safer year, miners and mine owners must refocus on safety fundamentals.  It requires going back to safety fundamentals and reiterating the message every day of the year.