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September 20, 2020
Arlington, VA — Spurred by numerous fatalities related to the hazards of working near belt conveyors, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.
Published on Sept. 3, the alert states that eight fatalities involving belt conveyors have occurred in the industry since Jan. 26, 2017. Six involved miners working near a moving conveyor, and two occurred during maintenance on an idle conveyor.
“All of these fatalities could have been prevented with proper lockout/tagout and blocking against motion before working,” the alert states.
MSHA details the most recent incident, which occurred in December and remains under investigation. A miner was fatally injured after removing a splice pin from a mainline conveyor that was caught between the belt and frame of the belt tailpiece.
The agency lists multiple best practices for working safely near belt conveyors, including:
● Identify, isolate and control stored mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and gravitational energy.
● Effectively block the belt conveyor to prevent movement in either direction.
● Relieve belt tension by releasing energy at the takeup/belt storage system. Remember: Some tensile energy might still exist.
● Position belt splice in an area of safe access to avoid pinch points.
● Deenergize electrical power, and lock and tag the main disconnect before beginning maintenance. Permit only the person who installed a lock and tag to remove them – and only after completing the work.
● Never lock out start and stop controls or belt switches, as they don’t disconnect power conductors.
Published on Sept. 3, the alert states that eight fatalities involving belt conveyors have occurred in the industry since Jan. 26, 2017. Six involved miners working near a moving conveyor, and two occurred during maintenance on an idle conveyor.
“All of these fatalities could have been prevented with proper lockout/tagout and blocking against motion before working,” the alert states.
MSHA details the most recent incident, which occurred in December and remains under investigation. A miner was fatally injured after removing a splice pin from a mainline conveyor that was caught between the belt and frame of the belt tailpiece.
The agency lists multiple best practices for working safely near belt conveyors, including:
● Identify, isolate and control stored mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and gravitational energy.
● Effectively block the belt conveyor to prevent movement in either direction.
● Relieve belt tension by releasing energy at the takeup/belt storage system. Remember: Some tensile energy might still exist.
● Position belt splice in an area of safe access to avoid pinch points.
● Deenergize electrical power, and lock and tag the main disconnect before beginning maintenance. Permit only the person who installed a lock and tag to remove them – and only after completing the work.
● Never lock out start and stop controls or belt switches, as they don’t disconnect power conductors.
SOURCE:
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/20283-working-near-belt-conveyors-recent-deaths-spur-msha-safety-alert
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