MSHA urges focus on health and safety hazards to prevent fatalities

Following an increased number of fatalities among miners, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a safety alert urging mining employers to focus on identifying and eliminating health and safety hazards.

Between January 3 and March 5, 10 miners were killed on the job. Of the fatal injuries, four were caused by failures of ground or coal conditions, four involved improper maintenance or unsafe operation of equipment, one involved explosives, and the last was caused by failure to lockout and tagout equipment.

MSHA’s safety alert states that effective safety and health programs that include workplace examinations and hazard recognition and avoidance can help prevent these types of fatalities. Other best practices include:

• Operating and maintaining equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations,
• Clearing and removing all persons from the blast area unless suitable blasting shelters are provided to protect them from flyrock, and
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure tasks are performed safely.

The full alert can be found on MSHA’s website.