5 Safe Machinery Practices for Miners

Machines are an integral part of the mining process but there are many dangers of working with heavy machinery – being struck or run over, being crushed or entangled in any part of the machine or driving into unmarked or unguarded holes in the ground, to name a few.

In 2023, 16 miners died in incidents caused by a malfunction, improperly maintained or damaged machinery. This includes a 28-year-old plant operator who died while performing maintenance on a primary jaw crusher. The swing jaw of the crusher moved and pinned him between the back of the jaw and a toggle block frame. Investigators determined that the accident occurred because the operator did not block the moveable parts of the crusher and did not provide adequate maintenance training for the crusher.

Many more miners are seriously injured each year by machinery. Some of the machinery types most often involved in accidents are electric and air-powered tools, loading machines, conveyors, roof/rock bolting machines, milling machines and haulage equipment.

Under the Mine Act, mine operators have ultimate responsibility for the safety and health of their miners. There’s an ongoing need for operators and others in the mining community to engage with miners about safety procedures to safely operate and work around machines. It is important that all miners working near large mobile equipment and equipment operators communicate and are visible to each other before a miner gets close to the equipment.

Follow these five best practices to prevent injuries while working around machines:

• Block machinery. Machinery must be blocked against motion and disconnected from power before repair and maintenance is performed. When mobile equipment is not in motion, it must be locked in place.
• Guarding. Miners can be struck, pulled into or crushed by moving parts of machinery. Point-of-contact guards protect miners from moving parts, flying debris and other potential safety hazards.
• Maintenance. When machines are not properly maintained, they can become unsafe to use. To prevent hazards, it is important to perform regular maintenance on all machines and to inspect them for damage before operating them. Damaged machines must be tagged, removed and reported to the proper person to perform repairs.
• Training. Mine operators are responsible for providing safety and health training to all new miners, as well as a minimum of eight hours of refresher training each year. Most importantly, mine operators must make sure miners are always adequately task trained.
• Personal Protective Equipment. You should wear job-specific PPE when working near machines. Items such as gloves, shoes, ear plugs and hard hats protect you against hazards. You should wear close-fitting clothes that won’t get caught or sucked into moving parts of machinery.

MSHA’s new Safety Program for Surface Mobile Equipment rule requires mine operators to develop a written safety program for surface mobile equipment — excluding belt conveyors — in surface mines and the surface areas of underground mines. These safety programs must also be shaped with contributions from miners and their representatives, with a focus on identifying and mitigating hazards and potential risks associated with the equipment.

Importantly, the final rule allows mine operators flexibility to devise a safety program that is appropriate for their specific mining conditions and operations.

Learn more about the rule and how to develop a written safety program at msha.gov.

Kevin Deel is a special programs coordinator on the Educational Policy and Development team. Follow MSHA on Twitter/X and Facebook.