MINE FATALITY – On October 7, 2022, a mechanic was fatally injured when engulfed in the material after entering an air separator to clear a blockage.
Best Practices
- Install mechanical flow-enhancing devices, such as mechanical vibratory devices, that can maintain material flow and prevent the need for miners to enter a
confined space. - Mine operators should establish procedures to clear blockages and train all miners in the procedures.
- Make sure miners wear a safety belt or harness equipped with a lifeline when entering a confined space, and that a second miner, similarly equipped, is
attending the lifeline.
This is the 24th MSHA fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Confined Space.”
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