Efforts to address mining safety extend far beyond only preventing fatalities. There are a wide range of hazardous activities in everyday mining operations – and safety experts are continuously seeking to improve safety awareness, training and providing the best medical response services.
Earlier today the Mining Safety website revealed an interesting Report from the Department of Mineral Resources titled “Operational report Mpumalanga region – April 2011”. The good news is that there have been no fatalities at the mines in Mpumalanga during April.
This Report also provides interesting insights with regards to typical injuries on the mines.
We would like to share an overview of these injuries/ accidents on our mines:
Brief description of accidents which occurred during April 2011
- Cable head on CM slipped whilst removing faulty cable and injured left ring finger.
- Arm caught between maintenance bus and gate of section waiting place.
- Whilst removing CM cutter motor cover it slipped and pinned hand against cutter motor frame.
- During reclamation of cable from old section, the skid on which the cable was being loaded was pulled forward by the LHD injuring left foot.
- Pulling tail end with two LHDs in tandem, the bucket of one LHD came loose and struck right lower leg.
- Finger injured when caught between drill bed and stopper whilst leaning against drill rig in operation.
- Tyre handler injured left leg when tyre fell onto him.
- Struck by material when standing close to a tipping truck.
- Belly plate of machine fell and injured right thumb.
- Tripped and fell over roof bolter trailing cable injuring left hand.
- Injured left hand small finger from electrical shock whilst working on panel.
- Whilst suspending cable injured finger when trapped between cable head and skid of MSU.
- Tripped and fell over shuttle car trailing cable.
- CM operator sustained cuts to his head from FOG whilst cutting split.
- Slipped and fell in plant injuring shoulder.
- Fell from loader and fractured wrist whilst removing safety net from panel.
- Head pulley bearing seized causing grease to ignite.
- Sleeper slipped from hand and fell on foot causing injury.
- Exposed to blasting fumes due to change in ventilation plan.
- Slipped and injured ankle on slippery floor in section.
- Boom gate fell on thumb causing injury.
- Haul truck drove into safety berm at train bridge haul road.
- Fly rock landed close to drill crew drilling 344 metres from blast area.
- Methane flash occurred whilst CM cutting.
View MiningSafety.co.za for more on the efforts to increase safety awareness at our mines!