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Analysis of Fatalities During Maintenance and Repair Operations in the U.S. Mining Sector
Leanna M Reardon1, John R Heberger1, Patrick G Dempsey1
1National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, PO Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA.
IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors
|November 15, 2016
Summary
Mining maintenance and repair fatalities show distinct patterns between coal and metal/nonmetal sectors. Identifying these hazard patterns is crucial for developing targeted safety interventions and preventing future mining accidents.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Mining Engineering
- Ergonomics
Background:
- Maintenance and repair in mining present significant hazards.
- Ergonomics research has historically overlooked mining maintenance and repair safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- Categorize mining maintenance and repair fatalities by identifying patterns.
- Compare fatality occurrences between coal and metal/nonmetal mining sectors.
- Identify safety deficiencies and propose remedial measures.
Main Methods:
- Developed a classification scheme for fatalities (proximal causes, tasks, contributing factors).
- Tested and applied the scheme to categorize mining fatalities.
- Ensured reliability through dual author categorization.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct fatality patterns in coal versus metal/nonmetal mines.
- Coal mines showed more electrical fatalities; metal/nonmetal mines had more potential energy-related fatalities.
- Common causes included contact with objects/machinery, falls from height during maintenance, cleaning, or unblocking operations. Key contributing factors were failures in de-energizing/lockout-tagout procedures, procedural violations, inadequate safety equipment, and improper equipment blocking.
Conclusions:
- The classification approach effectively identified hazard patterns in mining maintenance and repair fatalities.
- Identified patterns provide focus areas for developing effective safety interventions to prevent future fatalities.
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