4 Ways To Ensure Safety On Your Mining Site For Zero Accidents

1,549 miners died in China in 1942 in what is considered as the worst mining disaster in history. Over the years as mining corporations were more careful and technological advancements paved way to safer and easier to handle equipment, the number of fatalities that rose out of mining accidents dwindled down. But it’s still an alarming number. In 2010, 29 miners died as a coal mine exploded in New Zealand. Only two survived this unfortunate incident.

Incidents like these can be avoided if safety precautions are strictly followed. Be one of the companies who strive for zero accidents in their mines. To do so, these are the four essential actions you need to take in ensuring the safety of the miners and drillers on your site:

1. Prioritise Licensed or Certified Miners

Licensed and certified miners have been properly educated and trained about mining, drilling and handling heavy rigid vehicles needed for the job. These miners and drillers have theoretical and practical knowledge so they are the best people to entrust your mining operations to. These are the people who should be prioritised on your list of employees to hire. This ensures the people manning your site are capable to handle mining operations and this reduces the risk of accidents from occurring.

2. Give Drilling Courses and Drill Safety Trainings

If there is a shortage of experienced and licensed miners and drillers, the company can be the one to give courses and trainings before putting unexperienced employees on the job. There are now various short-term mining and drilling trainings companies can provide to their new employees to equip them with the necessary skills needed in mining industries.

Most importantly, companies need to give essential drill safety trainings to both new and old employees. Every new employee must undergo safety trainings before starting work. Old employees must also have a refresher every year to remind them of what needs to be done to maintain safety on the site. It can also be a venue to update them with possible new trainings that are practiced.

3. Follow Safety Precautions On-site

There are also some measures that can be done on-site to ensure the safety of all the miners and drillers. Among these are:

• Use new technology – New technology have been developed for mining industries. These are more user-friendly and prove to be safer for use for workers. There have even been new technology for dangerous operations that had to be previously done by operators. Be sure your company is adept to the new technological developments to have the best and safest equipment for your site.
• Equip your site with safety equipment – In every site there are mining safety equipment a company needs to have. Masks, breathing apparatus, vests, safety ladders, hard hats and spill control equipment – these are only some of the safety gears you need to have on your site. Make sure you have all you need to prevent accidents and to safeguard your employees of any mishaps.

4. Keep Site and Equipment Clean

A good truck wash can go a long way. When you ensure the cleanliness of your site and your equipment you not only keep these tidy and ready to use the next day, you also keep your workers safe. Regular cleaning of trucks and excavation equipment will lessen dirt and moisture build-up and will keep equipment working in top condition. Through all these, poor equipment performance and unfortunate site accidents can be prevented.

Preserving safety in your mines will prevent accidents from happening. This will then ensure you don’t lose thousands on production costs as operations are running smoothly. But most of all it will ensure the safety of your workers. Zero accidents can be reached if there is careful planning and preparation to ensure your site and equipment is safe for work. It can be as simple as a regular truck wash or be as detail-oriented as a safety trainings. With these four essential steps, a mining company can achieve this.