This time of the year has historically seen a large number of powered haulage and machinery fatalities that occurred while disassembling portable plants, moving equipment into storage and breaking down equipment for major repairs, it said.
Many intermittent mines are preparing for the winter season and performing annual shutdown or repair activities.
“For example, a front end loader operator died at a sand and gravel operation when he was caught between a conveyor frame and the bucket of an excavator,” it said.
“He was attaching chains to the conveyor section preparing to move it.”
An equipment operator preparing to move a portable plant’s conveyor head pulley section was struck and killed by the falling conveyor as he rigged it for lifting, according to MSHA.
A crusher operator was killed when he was struck by a tire assembly on a conveyor belt.
The bucket of a front end loader dropped suddenly while it was supporting the conveyor during disassembly.
