MSHA shares best practices for miners working alone

Arlington, VA — Miners working alone should always tell a responsible person their location and travel path through a mine, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says.

In a recently published safety alert, MSHA recommends that miners assess their task before working alone. Workers should determine whether they have adequate training, knowledge, skills and equipment to safely complete the task, as well as confirm whether it requires help.

Other best practices for lone workers in mines:

• Identify hazards.
• Correct and isolate the hazard(s) or report them to the mine supervisor.
• Always use the proper equipment for the job.
• Don’t take shortcuts – do the task safely.
• Follow established protocol for communication and check-in/out procedures.