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inspection of equipment can help to identify
hazardous working conditions and prevent
failures.

Install barriers to prevent access to hazardous
areas, especially around unguarded floor
openings. There are numerous scenarios where
barriers can be added. During maintenance
activities when railings and floor surface may be
removed, additional barriers should be added
to prevent falls. During housekeeping, debris
could cover floor surfaces that are not designed
to support loads, such as skylights and temporary
coverings; in these cases, barriers should also
be used. It is preferable to have permanent
barriers installed, but if this is not possible, use
temporary barriers that are clearly visible, sized
to prevent access and accompanied by signage
that identifies the hazard.

Establish and use safe operating procedures
and provide adequate training. The analysis
shows that having safe operating procedures
documented and ensuring that they are followed
can prevent fatalities. For example, during
maintenance, construction and dismantling,
procedures should be in place to not only lock
out and tag out equipment, but also to block
any object that could potentially break loose or
move.

Supply personal fall arrest systems. Mines
should supply appropriate harnesses fitted to
the miner’s height and weight, designed for the
task, and located close to where they are needed.
Substantial tie-off points should be designed into

4 vecemBen 2016 lm Miming engineering

the work environment and clearly labeled to
foster their use, and miners should be trained in
using fall protection equipment to ensure proper
use (MSHA, 2012 and NIOSH, 2016). @

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this paper
are those of the author and do not necessarily
represent the views of the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Mention of any company or product does not
constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

References

Mine Safety and Health Administration, 2006-2015,
Mining industry accident, injuries, employment, and
production statistics and reports. Retrieved August 2016,
from http:/www.ede.gov/niosh/mining/data/default.html

Mine Safety and Health Administration, 2006-

2015, Preliminary accident reports, fatalgrams and fatal
investigation reports. Retrieved August 2016, from http://
arlweb.msha.gov/fatals/

Nasarwanji, M. F., 2016, Contributing factors to slip,
trip, and fall fatalities at surface coal and metal/nonmetal
mines. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 1664-1668).

Reardon, L. M., Heberger, J. R., & Dempsey, P. G.,
2014, Analysis of fatalities during maintenance and repair
operations in the US mining sector. ITE Transactions on
Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, 2(1), 27-38.

Figure 4, modified from NIOSH’s “Hierarchy of
Controls” webpage, at http://www.cde.gov/niosh/topics/
hierarchy/default.html. Retrieved October 2016.

Mine Safety and Health Administration, 2012, Program
policy letter No. P12-TV-01. Safety belts and lines (30 CER.
§56/57.15005). Retrieved October 2016, from http://arlweb.
msha.gov/regs/complian/ppls/2012/PPL12-IV-O1.asp

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2015,
Safety and health regulations for construction (29 CER.
§1926.501), Subpart M: Fall Protection. Retrieved October
2016, from https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_
document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10757

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Causes of fall fatalities at

surface mines

by Mahiya F. Nasarwanji

urface mines can be hazardous places to

work, with approximately 5,800 nonfatal
injuries a year (MSHA, 2006-2015). Slips and
falls are a major contributor to these non-
fatal injuries, second only to material handling
injuries. Slips and falls account for approximately
26 percent of nonfatal injuries, leading to
approximately 64,000 lost work days a year
(MSHA, 2006-2015). Adequate attention has not
been placed on slips and falls and they continue
to be a significant cause of mining fatalities. In
fact, 55 (11 percent) of the 487 fatal incidents
reported by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) between 2006 and
2015 were due to slips and falls at surface mines
(MSHA, 2006-2015).

Most mines have programs to prevent slips
and falls. However, due to the high prevalence of
slip and fall injuries and fatalities, there is a need
to take a closer look at what causes fatal slip and
fall incidents. A better understanding of these
incidents can help companies prevent future
fatalities. To that end, the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
conducted a review of slip and fall fatalities to
better understand their causes.

Using MSHA data to determine the causes of
fatal slips and falls

MSHA provides detailed accident
investigation reports for each fatality. These
reports include information on the chain of
events that led to the fatality and measures to
prevent a future occurrence. NIOSH analyzed
the MSHA accident investigation reports for
the 55 fatalities associated with slips and falls
between 2006 and 2015. The objective was to
identify trends and commonalities that can be
used by miners and mining companies to prevent
slips and falls.

First, all of the MSHA fatal accident
investigation reports between 2006 and 2015
were reviewed to identify those that involved a
slip or fall. Next, two researchers independently
read each slip and fall fatality report to identify
the primary job tasks of the fatally injured
miner, the tasks being performed at the time of
injury, the cause of the fatality and the factors,
that if controlled, may have prevented the
fatality (Nasarwanji, 2016). Finally, the same
two researchers compared and combined their
findings to ensure they were consistent and
reliable.

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Wl Figure 1

Occupations involved in 55 fatalities occuring between 2006 and 2015.

= Laborer
= Equipment operator
= Mechanic
Truck driver
= Other

The cause of the fatality that was determined
by MSHA as being the primary — and secondary
when available — cause of injury were examined.
The primary cause of injury was defined as
the event immediately preceding the fatality
(Nasarwanji, 2016). For example, if a miner died
because he/she fell off of a ladder when the
ladder shook because a pipe broke and struck
the ladder, then the primary cause of the fatality
was falling off of the ladder. The secondary
cause was defined as the event that immediately
preceded the primary cause. In this example, the
ladder shaking would be the secondary cause.

Contributing factors that may have
prevented the injury were anything that would
have kept any one event within the chain of
events from occurring (Nasarwanji, 2016). These
factors can be controlled by the miner or the
mining company. In the previous example, the
broken pipe led to the ladder shaking. In that
case, adequate inspection, maintenance and
repair may have prevented
the equipment failure. In
addition, the fatality may
have been prevented if the
miner had been wearing
a personal fall arrest
system. As this example

Mahiyar F. Nasarwanji is with
Pittsburgh Mining Research Divi-
sion, National Institute for Occu-
pational Safety and Health, e-mail:
MNasarwanji@cde.gov.

Mining engineering mi vecemBER 2016 1


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Hi Figure 2

Tasks being performed when 55 fatalities occurred between 2006 and
2015.

14

= Maintenance & repair
= Operations
® Installation/construction/dismantling

Other/Unknown,

demonstrates, in most cases, there are several
contributing factors that can be controlled to
prevent a fatality.

Who was injured?

NIOSH’s analysis was able to determine the
job types and work tasks commonly associated
with slip and fall fatalities. As Fig. 1 shows, the
most common victims of fatal slips or falls were
laborers (30 percent), equipment operators
(22 percent), mechanics/maintenance men (16
percent) and truck drivers (15 percent). The
largest proportion of fatalities (38 percent)
occurred when miners were performing
maintenance and repair tasks (Fig. 2). Daily
operations (22 percent) and installation/
construction/dismantling (15 percent) were also
tasks associated with fatal slips or falls.

Maintenance, construction and dismantling
are especially hazardous due to their dynamic
nature (Reardon et al., 2014). During these
types of activities, the work environment can
change rapidly and continuously. If miners
are not made aware of these changes or the
potential for these changes, it can be hazardous.
For example, if a piece of floor grating is
removed for replacement, even for a few
minutes, without adequate signage or barriers,
other miners may not be aware of the floor
opening and fall through it (Fig. 3) . Likewise,
when dismantling there are times when
equipment and parts may be left unsupported
or inadequately supported. Miners are then
placed at risk due to unexpected movement of
equipment.

What caused the fatalities?
Fall from height was the primary cause
of nearly half (49 percent) of the fatalities.

2 veceMBeR 2016 mi Mining engineering

Working at heights is often required as part

of daily duties, but, as the data show, can be
hazardous if adequate precautions are not
taken. A further 18 percent of the fatalities
were due to a fall from stairs or ladders. Other
causes of fatalities were falling into water (11
percent), from equipment (7 percent), into
material (5 percent) or from a truck or trailer
(5 percent). Failure of equipment or ground (15
percent), falling through an opening (9 percent),
slips (9 percent) and unexpected movement of
equipment or ground (7 percent) were some of
the secondary causes identified.

What could have prevented the fatalities?

Properly using a personal fall arrest
system — when it was appropriate for the
circumstances and with correct tie-offs —
could have prevented one third (33 percent)
of the fatalities. Although personal protective
equipment (PPE) should be the last line of
defense, if other controls are not employed,
using a personal fall arrest system appropriately
can save lives.

Fixing broken or damaged equipment, using
equipment as designed, and not modifying
equipment beyond its intended purpose could
have prevented an additional 13 percent of
the fatalities. Establishing and following safe
operating procedures (13 percent), providing
barriers where necessary to prevent inadvertent
contact (8 percent), and locking out, tagging out
and blocking equipment (8 percent) could have
also prevented fatalities.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Based on the analysis, there are two areas
where miners can help protect themselves from
slips and falls.

Pay special attention when performing
or working around maintenance and repair
activities and during installation, construction
and dismantling. This is important because
during these activities the work environment is
different from normal operations, can change
often and can change very quickly. In addition,
the usual safety features such as barriers and
guards may be removed or disabled. Remember
to perform a hazard assessment prior to
beginning work and keep vigilant for new
hazards while working. Anticipate potential
dangers such as moving parts and floor
openings and secure necessary tools and safety
measures to prevent these hazards.

Correctly use appropriate personal fall
arrest systems when needed. When working at

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any height where there is a likelihood of falling,
it is always recommended to err on the side of
caution and use a personal fall arrest system.

Put simply, using a personal fall arrest system
can save your life. It is also important to use

a personal fall arrest system that is designed

for you (taking into account your weight and
height) and has been recently inspected. Finally,
don’t forget to tie-off appropriately.

What can mining companies do to protect
miners?

Based on the analysis, companies can help
protect miners from potentially fatal slips
and falls by following the recommendations
below. Each recommendation is aligned with
the hierarchy of hazard controls from the most
effective to the least effective (Fig. 4).

Design equipment to prevent or minimize
hazards when working at height. The best way
to eliminate falls from heights is to improve the
design of the work environment. Truck loadout
areas are an example where an appropriately
designed access system to close hatches/tarps
can eliminate some of the hazards associated
with working at heights. Truck loadout systems
can be designed to include an elevated guarded
platform to close hatches on different types of
trucks, adequate space and markers to align the
truck, and a safe means of access to the elevated
platform. In addition, when purchasing new

|_| Figure 4

Web Exclusive
Hl Figure 3

Example of maintenance work being performed around a well-designed
floor opening with adequate fall protection. Note the permanent barriers,
gate to access the opening, toeboards and the safe working practice,
including the use of a personal fall arrest system.

equipment, look for features that eliminate the
need to work at heights or minimize hazards
associated with working at heights.

Inspect and maintain equipment. Actively
look for defects and fix damaged and
improperly modified equipment. A number of
slip and fall fatalities were due to failure of a
piece of equipment, improperly used equipment
or modifications. Regular maintenance and

Hierarchy of hazard controls to prevent fall fatalities with examples (*Personal Protective Equipment). Source, NIOSH.

Most
Effective

Least
Effective

Engineering controls

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W. Supply and use a personal fall arrest system.

Design, install, or move equipment to
eliminate or minimize hazards
associated with working at heights.
Inspect and maintain equipment.

Install guardrails and barriers to
prevent access.

—

Establish appropriate operating procedure
and training especially when working at
heights.

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