One miner died last month while performing maintenance on a slipping head pulley of a hopper at a mine in Senatobia, Mississippi, said officials at the Mine safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
Carmichael Roberts, 51, a 23-year veteran at the mine was a foreman in the maintenance area when the incident occurred on August 13.
He was working at Memphis Stone & Gravel Company, whose parent company is Granite Construction Inc. at the Perry mine Senatobia, Mississippi.
During the maintenance task, the miner fell onto the discharge conveyor, where he became engulfed as the belt began feeding material from the hopper.
Officials got the call August 13 at 12:09 p.m. for a worker trapped in a machine at the mine.
As a result of the investigation into the incident, the MSHA created some best practices:
- De-energize, lock-out, tag-out, and block machinery against motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
- Provide and maintain safe access to all working places. Use personnel lifts or ladders to access elevated workplaces safely.
- Provide and ensure proper use of fall protection where there is a danger of falling. Ensure fall protection has a suitable fall arrest connection and secure anchorage system.
- Conduct workplace examinations to identify conditions that may adversely affect the safety or health of miners. Identify risks and eliminate or control hazards before beginning work.
Photo shows what happened during the incident at the Perry mine when Carmichael Roberts fell onto the discharge conveyor, where he became engulfed.
Source: MSHA