The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on Sept. 9, a dredge operator at Barry Industrial Sand Inc., Orange County, Texas, drowned while working in a dredge pond. This is the 21st fatality reported in 2022, and the second classified as “Drowning.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Make sure a competent person conducts workplace examinations before miners begin work to identify conditions that may adversely affect safety.
- Make sure miners wear life jackets or belts where there is danger of falling into water.
- Make sure miners maintain communication when working alone.