Surface – Lime – On May 9, 2018, a miner was burned while lighting a gas-fired kiln. Gas accumulated inside the kiln before the pilot light was inserted through an opening in the hood. When the main burner ignited, the flame propagated to the area outside the kiln through the hood opening, catching the worker’s shirt on fire. The miner suffered significant burns and will require a lengthy hospitalization. The green jacket-draped chair in the image shows where the worker was positioned when the flame blow-back occurred. Read more»
Month: May 2018
Safe + Sound Campaign: Communication is Key
OSHA offers several resources to help employers increase worker participation in their safety and health efforts:
- Use Better Safety Conversations, a new product from the Safe + Sound Campaign, to improve the safety dialogue with workers in your organization.
- Implement Recommended Practices for Anti-Retaliation Programs to help workers communicate their safety and health concerns.
For more information, visit the Safe + Sound Campaign webpage.
CFO Spotlight Survey
The 2018 Arizona CFO Spotlight Survey explores the levels of optimism, sentiments and opinions among CFOs in a variety of industries, as well as activities and emerging trends that may impact how Arizona businesses and organizations operate. From the local business climate to how regulation, millennials and data security are shaping business strategies, this survey includes timely topics vetted by business advisors and CFOs.
Inside the Report:
- Results at a Glance
- Executive Summary
- Highlights by Topic
- Outlook by City (Phoenix, Tucson)
- Outlook by Industry
Some of the topics addressed in the survey include:
- Arizona business climate
- Disruptive technologies
- Optimism for growth
- Millenials
- Regulation
- Environment
- Access to capital
- Cybersecurity
- Hiring/labor
- Cross-border
- Risk management
- Healthcare
2018 SME & NSSGA Mine Design Challenge
The SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition is a mine design challenge held annually, open to undergraduate students. Students in teams of up to six have 35 hours each over the first phase to design a life-of-mine (LOM) plan for an aggregate site somewhere in the US. Judges then evaluate first phase submissions for professionalism, clarity, feasibility, and creativity of the mine design. The top six teams worldwide are invited to the SME National Conference in February to compete there, where they each have about 48 hours to incorporate information from a second problem statement into their design. At the conclusion of this 48-hour period each team presents to a panel of six judges, and the top three teams are awarded prizes. www.youtube.com
Schneider Electric Recalls Square D Safety Switches Due to Electrical Shock Hazard
Consumers should immediately inspect installed safety switches by moving the handle to the “OFF” position. If the power stays on when the handle is in the “OFF” position, contact Schneider Electric for a free replacement safety switch and free service support to install the replacement switch.
Consumer Contact:
Schneider Electric toll-free at 877-672-1953 or online at www.schneider-electric.us/gdss-safetyalert or www.schneider-electric.com and click on “Square D” (found under Quick Links) for more information.
MNM Serious Accident Alert – Surface – Electrical
Surface – Phosphate – On April 19, 2018, a miner was trouble shooting a electrical issue on a skid mounted control center for a pumping system when they came in contact with 4160 volts. The miner appeared uninjured but was hospitalized overnight for observation. Read more»
MNM Close Call Accident Alert – Surface – Powerline
Surface – Limestone – On April 5, 2018, a concrete pumper truck made contact with a 13.2 KV overhead powerline. The powerline broke and fell on the cab of a tractor trailer truck. The driver of the tractor trailer remained inside the cab of the truck until the powerline was de-energized. This close call accident resulted in no injuries. Read more»
National Safety Stand-Down To Prevent Falls in Construction MAY 7-11, 2018
Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities recorded in 2016 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries. Read more»
Eric Mears Discusses Aggregate Quarrying
America’s infrastructure is built of sand, gravel, and crushed rock; collectively referred to as aggregate. Eric Mears, VP of Haley & Aldrich, addresses aggregate quarrying from the Phoenix area’s Agua Fria River on the latest Arizona Mining Review eVideo Magazine.
Aggregate is a primary ingredient in manufacturing concrete used to construct roads, bridges, airports, utilities, buildings, homes, and all other types of infrastructure. According to the US Geological Survey’s 2018 Mineral Commodity report (1), aggregate production in the U.S. topped $23 billion in 2017, falling just south of the $26.3 billion for all U.S. metal mine production.
- Source US Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Report 2018 (https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2018/mcs2018.pdf)
- Source: Rocks and Mineral.com (http://www.rocksandminerals.com/aggregate.htm)
MNM Close Call Accident Alert – Surface – Slope Failure
Surface – Slope Failure – On April 18, 2018, a front-end loader operator observed that a portion of the “dirt dump” or refuse pile located on the top rim of the quarry had sloughed and the material had slid down to multiple benches below. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 tons of material was involved in the slide. There were no injuries. The “dirt dump” was barricaded and posted against entry. Read more»