METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY- On July 7, 1999, a 34-year-old contractor employee was fatally injured while working inside the engine compartment of a front-end loader. He had removed the safety latch and the mechanism that facilitated raising and lowering the hood. Apparently, the victim fell against one of the tether straps holding the hood up, pullng it down on him.
BEST PRACTICES
All work areas should be cleared of trip and fall hazards prior to the commencement of work in the area.
Maintenance should not be performed on equipment unless components are blocked and secured against hazardous motion.
This is the 23rd fatality reported in calendar year 1999 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 1998, there were 28 fatalities reported in these industries. This is the second fatality classified as Slip/Fall of Person in 1999. There were four Slip/Fall of Person fatalities in the same period in 1998.
