22nd Dec 2016, Washington DC– The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a serious accident alert regarding conveyor belts.
Plant- Clay
A miner was trying to determine why clay was not flowing properly by examining a chute that discharged into a
screw conveyor. Instead of using a ladder to look inside, he stood on top of the metal screw conveyor cover his foot slipped and he fell approximately three feet to the grating floor hitting his head and suffered serious injuries.
Based on this incident the following guidelines have been issued.
BEST PRACTICES
• Identify all potential tripping and falling hazards before working.
• Look for fall hazards such as unprotected floor openings or edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings
• Select, wear, and use the appropriate fall protection equipment for the task.
• Provide and use appropriate lighting in work areas after dark.
• Use appropriate ladder for job task.
These points may look simple and obvious, but they are surprisingly overlooked on many sites. Following the guidance points above may reduce the accident rate by a large margin.
You can access the original notification about the near miss here.