On Thursday, March 7, 2019, a 38-year-old miner with 10 years of mining experience received fatal injuries while he was working on the pad of a highwall mining machine (HWM). The miner was contacted in a pinch point between a post and a section of the HWM (i.e. push beam) that was being removed as part of the normal mining cycle.
Best Practices:
- Establish and discuss safe work procedures for removing push beams. Identify and control all hazards and develop methods to protect miners.
- Determine the proper working position to avoid pinch points. Monitor personnel to ensure safe work procedures are followed.
- Always follow the equipment manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures and discuss these procedures during training.
- Train miners to recognize potential hazardous conditions and understand safe job procedures before beginning work.