Hazards Around Bins And Hoppers (1978)

The rise in the accident frequency rate of various mining and milling operations in recent years has led mining safety officials to take a closer look at the industry to determine the causes behind this increase. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Help! [Music] [Music] Help! Help me! [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Materials in bins and hoppers tend to feed from the center. Depending upon the type of material and other conditions such as dampness, it may bridge, leaving a hollow place. Anyone on top of the pile could cause a cave-in and a fatality. In other cases, again, depending upon the material and conditions, the material may hang up around the sides of the enclosure. The material could at any moment break free. Anyone caught inside trying to relieve the hangup could possibly be buried. Oversized materials, too, may bridge or hang up. Ideally, this oversized material may be broken up with machinery so that no workmen have to put themselves into a dangerous situation. A large rock may also hang up in the crusher. [Music] Again, the best method to overcome the problem is to use machinery. A grappling hook enables the operator to dislodge the material without exposing himself to the powerful grinding action of the crusher. [Music] [Music] Despite the fact that many surface mining and milling operations are automated and remotely controlled and that machinery may be used to overcome the problems of hang-ups and bridging, there are times when men must do the work themselves, thereby exposing themselves to dangerous or hazardous situations. Whatever your job with the handling, transporting and storage of loose materials and ores, you should know the safe procedures for breaking loose or freeing hung up and bridged over materials. The first and one of the most important steps is to cut off the power to the machinery, stopping the flow of materials and locking out the supply and discharge equipment. Never work alone when exposing yourself to a hazardous situation. my belt on here. Okay. If there's a chance of falling, you must wear a safety belt attached to a safety line. And the line must be snubbed securely and attended by a second person. Is that too tight? You got plenty of move. Knock down any material that could possibly fall onto you before you enter the dangerous area. The safety line must be kept reasonably taut at all times, allowing proper slack while the bin is being entered, but kept the proper length to prevent you from being engulfed if the bridged material collapses or caves in. Let's put it out around your ladder there. The second person must be in a safe position and capable of rendering assistance if required. Give me a little more slack. Okay, Dan. Is that enough? Okay. The Federal Mind Safety and Health Act of 1977 specifies that no employee shall be assigned or allowed or be required to perform work alone in any area where hazardous conditions exist that would endanger his safety unless he can communicate with others, can be heard or can be seen. You okay? Yeah. Okay, I'm coming up now. Only after cleanup, repair, or maintenance work has been completed and the workers are safely out of the way may the equipment be restarted. Warning devices such as horns, sirens, or loudspeakers must be used to alert all personnel that the equipment is to be restarted and that normal operations are to be resumed. [Music] [Music] [Applause] We must stress again to all personnel, no matter what your job is, the importance of following strict safety procedures when working around the various kinds of bins and hoppers used in a mining and milling operation, particularly where there is a chance of being buried by loose material. Contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to be completely buried in order to suffocate and die. When weight and pressure of loose material such as sand compresses a person's chest, death can occur from heart failure due to pulmonary congestion. Every time you exhale or with each additional breath, your chest cavity narrows and the surrounding material presses in, squeezing and compressing your lungs and heart tighter and tighter until you can no longer breathe. [Music] In addition to men intentionally entering bins and hoppers to relieve bridged materials, there are other potentially dangerous situations and activities around any mining and milling operation. Trips, slips, and falls are always potential sources of injuries and fatalities. [Music] Openings to materials handling and storage facilities can often be guarded with access covers and doors to prevent falls and possible entrapment. [Music] To be effective, these doors and access covers must be kept closed and latched or locked to prevent entry, either unauthorized or accidental. Hazardous work areas can be found around open bins or hoppers having platforms, travelways, or elevated catwalks from which men may fall. Hazardous areas such as this should be protected by railings, barriers, or barred grizzlies. Or you must attach a safety line of the proper length before starting work. [Music] All elevated walkways, stairways, and working platforms throughout the mill should have guardrails or similar barriers to protect workmen and materials from falling. [Music] And of course, walkways should be kept clean and unobstructed. All openings leading to a hazardous area or dangerous drop must be kept guarded. [Music] Starting R2 north. Starting R2 north. [Music] You must exercise caution around moving machinery used in a mining and milling operation, especially around the many conveyors that supply and discharge from bins, hoppers, and storage piles. Extreme precautions must be taken around drive head and tail pulley and other pinch points between pulleys and belts. Work on and around new construction should also be performed with caution. The greater size and complexity of new constructions may introduce new danger areas. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Want to be careful walking here. We sure don't want an accident on the first day. New employees or employees who are assigned to new jobs should be made familiar with the facilities in their new work environment. Two of the hazards that do exist and ways to keep from getting into trouble. We'll stop here a minute. So why why does this stock pile here? Where does it go from here? What do they do with it? Well, they're eating from the large. And he instructed on the possible dangers and the safety precautions that they must take. up here and then draw it off as they use it. When the conveyor belt isn't running, is it all right to get up on the pile? Absolutely not, Vera. There's no way that you went up on that pile. There's a couple reasons why. You see uh when that comes to a cone, there's several places around the side that goes down in I think there is an inner pile which sinks in as the conveyor which is under the pile draws the material down and carries it away. This draw point around the perimeter is a very dangerous area. And at the base of the pile, there is a constant danger of being hit by falling rocks. To be safe, stay away. Sometimes, depending upon the material, a surge pile will draw from the center straight down, leaving an inverted cone or funnel. To be safe, stay off of all surge piles. [Music] [Applause] [Music] From the quarry to the final destination, materials handling is almost all done with machinery. Automation and efficiency are on the increase. The operators of frontend loaders, trucks, conveyor belts and hoppers are the workers who come closest to the material under normal operations. [Music] Bins and hoppers and other storage facilities are often equipped with devices such as vibrators, grappling hooks, and mechanical diggers to avoid delays in the flow of materials. But there are still times when workers with simple tools have to do the work by hand. You may have to relieve a bridge or a hangup or clean or inspect bins and hoppers. Whatever work you are doing, remember these points. [Music] When material must be barred loose, a long enough bar must be used and the worker must be in a safe location. Start at the top and work down, knocking down all of the material that could fall onto yourself before you enter. When entering a bin or hopper, a second person must be standing by with you. Safety belts and safety lines must be used. Hang-ups should never be approached from beneath. No matter how much safer mining equipment is designed or how many additional stricter safety laws are passed, it is up to you and every individual miner to stay healthy and safe on the job. It is your responsibility to learn from the safety training provided and then put this knowledge to work by following safe working practices in all phases of your job. You must be constantly alert. Be able to recognize a dangerous situation. Use caution. Do not endanger yourself by getting into a hazardous position. And most importantly, put safety uppermost in your mind. Think safety and you will act safely. [Music] [Applause]