A resources employee passed away after plant and equipment mangled him.
Authorities recently examined how earthmoving machinery fatally crushed a maintenance worker at an undisclosed mine.
“A miner died when a 13-ton (11.8 metric tonnes) steel dipper door he was working on closed, crushing him between the dipper door and the edge of the bucket,” the Mine Safety and Health Administration said in a safety alert.
Investigators found the door was “dangerously” removed from the bucket, and made the following recommendations:
- securely block equipment against motion
- always have a redundant blocking mechanism
- perform repairs according to manufacturer recommendations
- position miners in a safe location and away from potential pinch-point areas
- ensure blocking material is substantial and correctly installed to support and stabilise the load.
