District 7 Fall Protection Outreach

February 19, 2004

1:00 p.m. EST

WHY ARE WE HERE TODAY?

To Promote Fall Protection Safety Awareness

To Provide Best Practices On Fall Protection

GOAL - Send Every Miner Home Safe and Healthy at the End of Every Shift!!!

Remember - Safety is a Value!

Code of Federal Regulations:

77.1710 Protective Clothing; requirements.Each employee working in a surface coal mine or in the

surface work areas of an underground coal mine shall be required to wear protective clothing and devices as indicated below:

(g)Safety belts and lines where there is a danger of falling; a second person shall tend the lifeline when bins, tanks or other dangerous areas are entered.

FALL PROTECTION

• OSHA Recommends Fall Protection At Heights Greater Than 6 Feet

Slips and falls of mining personnel are a major cause of accidents in the mining industry. Since 1983, an average of 6.9 workers per year have been killed while 3,191 workers per year have required medical attention for non-fatal injuries due to slips and falls at mine sites.

Since 1995, forty-three workers have died in "fall-of-person" accidents at mining operations. Several of the fatalities occurred when the fall height was 10 feet or less. In most of these accidents workers fell off mobile equipment.

Year Coal

1993 2

1994 2

1995 4

1996 2

1997 1

1998 1

1999 4

2000 4

2001 4

2002 1

2003 2

Total 27

SLIP AND FALL FATAL ACCIDENTS

Jan. 1, 1993 to PRESENT

Coal Fall Fatalities '93-'03

0

1

2

3

4

5

Year

Fa

talit

ies

Cal Yr 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Fatalities 2 2 4 2 1 1 4 4 4 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Occupation Total

Supervisory/management/foreman/boss 15

Truck driver 12

Mechanic/repairman/helper 10

Sizing/washing/cleaning plant operator 8

Unknown or NEC 8

Welder 8

Laborer/utility man/bull gang 7

Electrician/helper/wireman 5

Barge att/boat oper/dredge oper. 2

Bulldozer/tractor operator 2

Coal-m/nm sampler/dust sampler/lab tech 2

Drill helper/chuck tender 2

Motorman/swamper/snapper/switchman 2

Belt man/conveyor crew 1

Crane oper. 1

Drill operator(coal/wagon/diamond) 1

Driver/jeep/pickup 1

Highwall drill oper/helper 1

Shotfire/shooter/blaster/helper 1

Watchman/guard 1

Grand Total 90

SLIP AND FALL FATALS BY

OCCUPATION 1993 to PRESENT

RecentRecentFatalsFatals

RecentRecentFatalsFatals

February 03, 2004.   The victim was operating an aerial boom truck, inside the bucket, to dismantle a shop building.  The victim and two other employees were using the boom of the bucket truck to lift up a wooden 4X6 post by placing one end of the chain on the post and the other on the aerial boom of the truck. The post was buried in the ground with concrete. The victim was thrown out of the bucket when the post suddenly released from the ground.

June 9, 2003, a 49-year old supervisor with 29 years mining experience was fatally injured when he was thrown from the elevated bucket of a Simon-Telect 42-foot aerial bucket truck. The victim and two other miners were dismantling a de-energized electrical substation on the surface area of an underground mine. To secure a steel "I-Beam" structure, a nylon rope was attached between the bucket of the aerial lift and the steel structure. After the steel structure was disconnected from the substation, the rope broke, causing the aerial bucket to shift suddenly, throwing the victim out of the bucket. The victim fell 28 feet 11 inches to the ground.

On Thursday, February 20, 2003, a 44-year old preparation plant operator with 25 years of total experience fell approximately 19 feet through a four-foot square opening in the upper level flooring at a conveyor drive station onto a conveyor tail pulley at a lower level of a surface facility. The flooring had been removed to allow materials to be lowered for construction work. The opening had been protected with nylon rope and flagging. The victim, a plant foreman, was aware of the work being performed. He was taken to the hospital for emergency medical treatment and died of his injuries on Tuesday, February 25, 2003.

August 29, 2001 An accident occurred which resulted in fatal injuries to a contract employee at the Coal Preparation Plant. An ironworker/welder was performing work on the 5th floor of the plant when a sixteen (16) by four (4) foot section of the concrete floor from which he was working collapsed, causing the miner to fall thirty four (34) feet to the 2nd floor. Demolition of existing structure to install upgraded equipment was being performed in preparation to connect the structural beams for a new addition to the plant when the accident occurred.

6th floor view looking down to the 2nd floor 2nd floor landing area

On November 27, 2001, at approximately 8:15 PM, an accident occurred which resulted in fatal injuries to the Plant Operator at the coal preparation plant. The plant operator was working on the sixth floor of the preparation plant with a co-worker, attempting to hang a chain hoist to a hoist track. They were attempting to attach the hoist to the hoist track in an open doorway. One safety bar was installed across the doorway and while lifting the hoist, it was dislodged. While attempting to attach the hoist, it was dropped and subsequently the victim slipped and fell approximately 101 feet to the ground

Thursday, March 2, 2000, at 10:30 a.m., a fatal fall of person accident claimed the life of a 47-year-old electrical contractor. The accident occurred in the Preparation Plant on top of the raw coal classifying cyclone sump where the victim was attempting to remove electrical conduit that had been previously installed over the operating sump. The cyclone was covered with a 10 gauge perforated metal covering. Although there were no eyewitnesses to the accident, the victim apparently stood on the metal covering while he was performing this work. The metal covering gave way and the victim fell through the covering into the operating raw coal classifying cyclone sump which resulted in fatal injuries.

CAUSES OF 15 FATALS1996 TO PRESENT

• STRUCTURAL FAILURE – 4

• UNCOVERED OPENING IN FLOOR - 3

• FALLING OFF EQUIPMENT - 2

• MISUSE OF EQUIPMENT - 2

• INADEQUATE GUARDING - 2

• FALLING OFF HIGHWALL - 1

• GUARDING NOT SECURED - 1

Best Best PracticesPractices

Best Best PracticesPractices

Fall Protection

Hierarchy of fall protection:

1st - Eliminate fall hazards• Erect railings, barriers, barricades, walls to prevent entry into

fall zone

2nd - Restrain - prevent falls by keeping person away from edge of fall zone

• Wear harnesses (best practice) or body belts (OK) attached to life lines or lanyards to keep away from the edge of the fall zone

Hierarchy of fall protection (cont):

3rd - Use fall arrest systems when work must be performed in the fall zone

• Limits free fall hazard to 6’ maximum • Wear full body harness attached by energy absorbing

lanyard to a secure anchorage. Anchorage should be as high as possible to limit free fall

• Body belts and chest harnesses are not designed for fall arrest

4th - Use work positioning or personnel riding system - may be used, when applicable, to work performed in the fall zone

• Supports a worker in the fall zone. Limits free fall hazard to 2’ maximum

• Utilizes full body harness & positioning lanyards. Use positioning systems in conjunction with a back-up fall arrest system, not in lieu of fall arrest

Fall Arrest Systems

• Lanyard - connects the full body harness to an anchorage or lifeline– 5000 pound breaking strength, minimum

– May include deceleration device or self-retracting mechanism to limit free fall

– Snap hooks connect lanyard to anchorage. They have a keeper & locking mechanism to prevent unintended opening

3 Components: Lanyard, Anchorage & Full Body Harness

• Anchorage - a secure point of attachment– Best practice: use an anchorage that has been engineered &

certified• Anchorage static load capacity (minimum recommended, per

person)• 3600 pounds, if certified; 5000 pounds, if not certified

• Locate at a height that limits free fall to 6 feet maximum• Locate anchorage so that if a fall occurs, a falling worker will not

strike a lower level or obstruction below. Allow for stretching of the harness and lanyard, and extension of a deceleration device.

Fall Arrest:

Wear a Full Body Harness

A basic body belt and line system may not be sufficient protection!

Use of a body belt or chest harness is very riskywhere a free fall danger exists!

Full body harness use is the Best Practice to arrest a fall

Full body harness distributes fall arresting force better, and over more & stronger body parts

Chest harness can paralyze fall victim’s arms or prevent breathing

Body belt exerts too much force on stomach & other internal organs when arresting a fall, and during suspension time thereafter

Suspension in a body belt affects blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing ability & rate

Tolerable suspension time in a belt may be less than two (2) minutes

Risk of spinal injury is higher with body belts when arresting a fall

Person can slip out of a belt or chest harness - after a fall, and before rescue

Fall Arrest Training

Recognition of fall hazards Procedures to minimize fall hazards & fall potential Use & limits of fall arrest & fall protection systems & equipment Do not work alone when working at height Inspect harness for damage before each use Care and maintenance of harness/connecting devices Suspension induced shock: cause & prevention Procedures in event of fall

For self For co-worker

Rescue plan, equipment & implementation

Train everyone who works at height

COAL MINE FATALITY - On August 13, 2002 at approximately 3:00 a.m., a 66-year-old highwall drill operator was fatally injured when he fell twenty-three feet off the edge of a highwall. The victim was walking from his truck along the drill bench to his highwall drill in dark and foggy conditions when the accident occurred. The victim was able to call for help using a cell phone. The victim was rescued, however, he later expired as a result of injuries.

                                                                                                         

Best Practices•Provide and use appropriate lighting in work areas after dark.

•Establish and use designated travel ways to travel to and from work areas. •Always be aware of your surroundings and any hazards that may be present.

METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On August 9, 2003, a 40-year-old maintenance man, with 5 months mining experience, was fatally injured at a surface milling operation that processes diatomaceous earth. The victim was tracking a water line, walked out onto the roof of a building, and fell through a sky light, 29 feet to a concrete floor below.

                                                                                                         

A miner sent us this safety idea after reviewing a Fatalgram where a maintenance worker fell through a roof skylight. He noted "there should have been a guard around the skylight. I know where I work, we have guards around every one of our skylights. I believe they are about 42 inches in height. This keeps a person from walking out onto the skylight or backing onto the skylight. The skylights have a way of getting dirty and then you don't notice them. They can be mounted even on a pitched roof. They can be bolted down to the roof or if the roof isn't strong enough a frame can be built that is strong enough to hold the skylight." Not everyone who goes into an area will be aware of the hazards. Other Ideas:-Use appropriate fall protection-Raise the skylight-Restrict access-Use warning signs-Use elect. lighting vs. skylights

METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On April 27, 1997, a truck driver (contractor employee) with 30 years of mining experience was killed at a lime plant. The employee parked his truck at the wash platform and climbed on top of the tank trailer to hose it off. A safety belt and line were not used and the victim fell 11 feet to the ground. He died from the sustained head injuries.

Best Practices

• Equip load out facilities with fall prevention/protection• Require fall prevention/protection equipment to be used at

load outs• Provide fall prevention/protection for truckers when

tarping trucks (may require access platforms/auto tarping)• Train drivers in the proper methods to get on and off

trucks• Establish safe methods/procedures to inspect trucks• Ensure proper loading of material to eliminate the need

for a driver to re-distribute loads

MSHA recommends using the following safety equipment and practices when working from platforms suspended by Cranes or Derricks: • Use a full body harness with the lanyard secured to the suspended platform or above the crane hook or ball.

• Inspect the crane or derrick prior to suspending a work platform. This should include inspection of the wire rope, hoist drum brakes, boom and other mechanical and rigging equipment vital to the safe operation of the crane or derrick.

• Use a work platform approved by a qualified engineer and rigging approved by a qualified person.

• The platform should be equipped with an access gate. The access gate should swing inward, and should be equipped with a positive locking latch.

Platform perimeter protection should consist of:

• a top rail approximately 42 inches above the floor,

• a toeboard at least 4 inches high, and

• a midrail approximately halfway between the top rail and the toeboard.

• The platform is to be positively locked to the load block or hook in a manner that prevents accidental disengagement.

• For more info. see American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10.28-Safety Requirements for Work Platforms Suspended from Cranes or Derricks

Fall Prevention Fall Prevention on Highwallson Highwalls

Fall Prevention Fall Prevention on Highwallson Highwalls

Safe Practices Practices Near a Near a

Highwall CrestHighwall Crest

http:/www.msha.gov/S&HINFO/SFETY/HIGHWALL/highwalloct99.ppt

Fall Prevention PrioritiesFall Prevention Priorities Determine Fall Hazard Zone:

– No Physical Barrier and

– 6 Feet or Less From Stable Crest or

– 6 Feet or Less From Unstable Ground or Footing

Use Fall Prevention

…if NOT POSSIBLEif NOT POSSIBLE...

Use Fall Arrest

Fall PreventionFall Prevention

• Use Physical Barriers

• Create Visual Warnings With Physical

Barriers

• Persons in Fall Hazard Zone Should Use:

– Safety Belts or Harness

• Lanyard Should Be Shorter Than

Distance From Crest to Tie off Point

• Use Physical Barriers

• Create Visual Warnings With Physical

Barriers

• Persons in Fall Hazard Zone Should Use:

– Safety Belts or Harness

• Lanyard Should Be Shorter Than

Distance From Crest to Tie off Point

Fall Arrest (The LAST Resort)Fall Arrest (The LAST Resort)

• Harness Preferred

• Tie off to Rear D-ring

• Use Decelerating or Shock

Absorbing Lanyard

When You Can Fall OverWhen You Can Fall Over the E

dg

eth

e Ed

ge

Tie Off AnchorageTie Off Anchorage• Fall PreventionFall Prevention

– Anchorage Should Hold at Least 3 Times the Weight of

the Persons Attached

• T-bars

• Mobile Equipment

• Fall Arrest– Anchorage Should Hold at Least 5,000 Pounds Per

Person Attached

• Mobile Equipment

T-Bars

Equipment Tie Off Procedures

Equipment Tie Off Procedures

• Lockout and Tagout Equipment

• Park in Safe Location

– Parallel to Face if Possible except drills

– On Stable Ground

• Use Secure Anchorage Point

• Avoid Lanyard Entanglements and Damage

• Lockout and Tagout Equipment

• Park in Safe Location

– Parallel to Face if Possible except drills

– On Stable Ground

• Use Secure Anchorage Point

• Avoid Lanyard Entanglements and Damage

Lockout/tagoutLockout/tagout

• Transmission in “Park” or In Gear

• Tied off Person has Ignition Key

• Parking Brake Engaged

• Steering Wheel or Clutch Lock Installed

• Wheels Chocked

• Transmission in “Park” or In Gear

• Tied off Person has Ignition Key

• Parking Brake Engaged

• Steering Wheel or Clutch Lock Installed

• Wheels Chocked

Anchoring for Drillers• Drillers should use caution when tying Drillers should use caution when tying

off to a drill. Is there a better off to a drill. Is there a better alternative?alternative?

• Never position a drill parallel to the Never position a drill parallel to the highwallhighwall

• If you must tie off to a drill, it should be:If you must tie off to a drill, it should be:– Properly locked/tagged out Properly locked/tagged out

OROR– Jacks or outriggers extendedJacks or outriggers extended

Personal Fall Protection EquipmentPersonal Fall Protection Equipment• Use Equipment That Meets ANSI Z359.1 and A10.14

Standards, “Safety Belts, Harnesses, Lanyards & Lifelines”

• Train Employees in the Use of:

– Harnesses

– Belts

– Lanyards

– Clips, Rings, and Other Accessories

• Use and Maintain According to Manufacturer’s Instructions

• Inspect Equipment Before Each Use

SUMMARY

• Promote Fall Protection Safety Awareness• Provide Best Practices on Fall Protection

– 6 Feet Or Higher Tie Off!!!– Harness Is Preferred To A Belt– Use 100% Tie Off Rule i.e. Keep Lanyard Attached

To Substantial Anchorage At All Times

GOAL - Send Every Miner Home Safe and Healthy at the End of Every Shift!!!

February 23, 2004

- Safety Talks

- Best Practices

- All Mines

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FALL FALL PROTECTION PROTECTION OUTREACHOUTREACH

http://www.msha.gov/DISTRICT/DIST_07/D7HOME.HTM

- Fall Protection

- Comments

Questions?

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THANK YOU !!REMEMBER – SAFETY IS A VALUE YOU CAN LIVE WITH!