The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued a new serious accident alert. The accident happened on July 25, 2017.
A miner was attempting to change the oil filter on the diesel motor for a cone crusher. The miner was using a filter wrench to remove the filter while standing on the battery box adjacent to the motor. The filter wrench broke and slipped causing the employee to fall about 5 ft. to the ground causing injury.
MSHA issued the following best practices to avoid an accident in the future.
- Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning the task to ensure that workers are not exposed to hazards when performing maintenance or repairs.
- Communicate and correct hazards in a timely manner.
- Ensure that workers are trained in and follow established safe work procedures recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
- Provide safe access to all work areas including elevated platforms.
- Use appropriate fall protection or fall prevention where there is a danger of falling.
- Inspect all tools prior to starting the job for defects that may affect safety.