The proposed requirements would strengthen protections for miners by reducing the potential for pinning, crushing, or striking injuries to miners who work near these machines, according to MSHA.
Proximity detection systems consist of machine-mounted components and, if applicable, miner-wearable components.
For proximity detection systems with miner-wearable components, the mine operator would be required to provide a miner-wearable component to be worn by each miner on the working section.
The proposed rule would establish performance and maintenance requirements for proximity detection systems and would require training for persons performing the installation and maintenance.
From 1984 through 2014, 42 fatal and 179 non-fatal pinning, crushing, or striking injuries occurred in underground coal mines that may have been prevented by the use of proximity detection systems on coal hauling machines and scoops.
More recently, from 2010 through 2014, 41 pinning, crushing, or striking accidents involving coal hauling machines and scoops have been reported: 23 that involved coal hauling machines and 18 that involved scoops.
Nine of these accidents involved fatalities that may have been prevented by the use of proximity detection systems. For example, on December 16, 2014, at the Highland 9 Mine, a repairman was killed when struck by a ram car.
