Mine safety agency issues alert on working near water

Arlington, VA — Five miners in the past two years have died in incidents involving water, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says.

In a recently published safety alert, MSHA says workers traveling or operating mining equipment in proximity to water risk entrapment, entanglement, drowning or electrocution. 

Undercut banks, sloughing ground, varied water depth, swift currents, inadequate berms and narrow roadways are among the related hazards.

Among agency best practices for working over or around water:

• Perform daily workplace examinations.
• Monitor water depth, subsurface conditions and ground conditions before beginning work.
• Keep equipment a safe distance away from the water’s edge.
• Provide handrails around docks and work boats.
• Make sure workers wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I or Type V personal flotation device when working around water.
• Keep water rescue equipment easily accessible.
• Post warning signs near water hazards.