Pit & Quarry, June 2017

SAFETY UPDATE MSHA RELEASES ALERT FOR ISOLATED WORKERS F ive miners died in accidents during the first three months of the year that occurred when they were working alone on mine property reports the Mine Safety Health Administration MSHA In order to raise awareness MSHA launched an initiative to focus on hazards that miners may encounter when theyre working in areas away from others According to MSHA the initiative calls on inspectors and training specialists to engage miners and mine operators in walk and talks during regular inspection visits MSHA encourages operators to account for all workers at all times and to provide them with best practices Mine operators should have procedures in place so they can account for the whereabouts of every miner at the beginning of the shift while they are working and at the end of the shift says Patricia Silvey deputy assistant secretary of labor for operations They should assess whether a particular task can be safely completed by a miner working alone and always follow established communication practices Among the best practices that miners can follow Think about the task Does the miner have adequate training knowledge skills and equipment to do the job safely Does the miner need help to complete the job Always inform a responsible person where the miner will be working and traveling in the mine Before beginning any task identify the hazards Dont take shortcuts Use customary check in check out procedures After two miners working alone died in fatal accidents within 24 hours of one another in January MSHA distributed a safety alert to the mining industry SME ASSEMBLES MINE SAFETY CERTIFICATION BOARD The Society for Mining Metallurgy Exploration SME organized a board of directors that will manage and administer its Certified Mine Safety Professional CMSP and Mine Safety Professional MSP certifications The CMSP and MSP certifications were acquired by SME from the International Society for Mine Safety Professionals ISMSP earlier this year According to SME the board will operate as the International Academy for Mine Safety Health of SME and will be chaired by Tom Hethmon the 2016 chair of the SME Health Safety Division The board consists of both former ISMSP members and SME members CEMEX AWARDS U S OPERATIONS INITIATIVES Cemex put the spotlight on safety within its own organization recognizing one specific region of Cemex USA with an award while awarding others for safety related initiatives Cemex USAs West Logistics Region earned first place in Cemexs Most Improved category for terminal operations According to the company the West Logistics Region developed a number of safety innovations that were implemented in terminals including new safety racks and procedures for incoming trucks Cemex USA was recognized for its contractor site safety education initiatives as well Also Cemex USAs health and wellness microsite was awarded as one of the best health initiatives inside the company H A R D N U M B E R S The number of fatalities in the current calendar year in the metal and nonmetal mining industry following a March 24 machinery 3 accident The MINE SAFETY HEALTH ADMINISTRATION posted details of the accident April 27 BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR MISSION IS SAFETY Austin Powder Company 25800 Science Park Drive Cleveland OH USA 44122 216 464 2400 www austinpowder com Our commitment to safety includes our manufacturing storage technical and blasting services We strive to be the safest explosives manufacturer supplier and blasting company in the world 64 PIT QUARRY June 2017 pitandquarry com