Cargill SaltMining Incidents in 2003

THE PRODUCTION HOIST WENT DOWN. A BAD BYTE ON THE OUTPUT CARD OF THE CONTROL WOULD NOT ALLOW THE BRAKES TO RELEASE. A GE REPAIRMAN CAME IN TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE COMPUTER PROBLEM.

WHILE PERFORMING A SHAFT INSPECTIONS, THE CREW FOUND THE #3 HOIST ROPE SLAPPING THE GUIDE ROPES. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE GROOVE IN THE HOIST DRUM FOR #3 ROPE SHOWED EXCESSIVE WEAR. TH E OTHER 3 GROOVES WERE CUT TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM.

THE SERVICE HOIST UNDERGROUND CONTROL PANEL: THE E-STOP PUSH BUTTON FAILED.

THE GE 90-70 SERIES PLC PROCESSOR FAULTED ADN HOIST COULD NOT BE OPERATED. A NEW GE 90-7- SERIESPLC PROCESSOR WAS INSTALLED AND THE HOIST WAS BACK UP IN ABOUT 2 HOURS, 5:15PM

THE POWER KICKED OFF AT 4:30 PM, DUE TO A STORM IN THE AREA. THE MINE WAS EVACUATED USING THE ""CHIPPY"" HOIST AT THE #1 SHAFT, WITHOUT INCIDENT. POWER WAS RESTORED AT 5:30 PM & THE #3 HOIST WAS RESET, UP AND RUNNING WITHOUT INCIDENT.

THE POWER OUTAGE OCCURRED IN THE NORTHEAST. BOTH HOISTS WERE DOWN AND WE HAD TO USE GENERATOR TO GET THE MINE EVACUATED.

JUST PRIOR TO THE BLACKOUT OF NEW YORK, THE NO. 3 HOIST EXPERIENCED A POWER FLUCTUATION THAT TRIPPED IT OUT. WITHIN ONE MINUTE WE LOST ALL POWER. THE MINE WAS EVACUATED USING THE ""CHIPPY"" HOIS T AT THE #1 SHAFT, WITHOUT INCIDENT. POWER WAS RESTORED AT APPROX 9:30 PM AND THE #3 HOIST WAS RESET, UP AND RUNNING WITHOUT INCIDENT.

BRAKE ADJUSTMENT LINKAGE ON PRODUCTION HOIST CALIPER BRAKES BROKE, PREVENTING BRAKE FROM RELEASING. MINE EVACUATION BEGAN AT 3:40 PM.

SECONDARY HOISTWAY, PRODUCTION HOIST OUTAGE REQUIRING A MINE EVACUATION. BRAKE RELASE SWITCH STICKING CAUSED APPROX. 2 HOURS DOWNTIME. MINE EVACUATION COMPLETE AT APPROX. 1:30 PM AND CREWS RET URNED TO WORK AT 2:35 PM.

THE SERVICE HOIST CAGE WAS TRAVELLING EMPTY INTO THE MINE, WHEN SALT SCALE HIT THE OVERHEAD PROTECTION ABOVE THE MINE LANDING. IT BROKE A 2X6 BOARD WHICH FELL AND KNOCKED OPEN THE BOTTOM GAT E. THIS CAUSED THE CAGE TO SHUT DOWN AT 7:20 AM AND THE MINE WAS EVACUATED. THE CAGE WAS RESET, SHAFT INSPECTION AND HAND SCALING WAS COMPLETE BEFORE RETURN TO WORK UNDERGROUND 9:15 AM.

THE COMMUNICATION CABLE FOR THE PLC DEVELOPED A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE IN THE #3 SHAFT. THIS MEANT THE HOIST WAS DOWN. WE EVACUATED THE MINE AND NOTIFIED THE GENEVA, NY FIELD OFFICE. THERE WAS A SP ARE CABLE IN THE CONDUIT THAT IS NOW IS USE.

THE CHUCK GOT STUCK IN THE DRILL HEAD & EE TRIED TO PRY THE CHUCK OUT WITH A FLAT ROOF PLATE, & AS HE WAS COMING DOWN WITH THE HAMMER, HIS RIGHT ELBOW HIT THE DRILL CONT. & DISTRACTED HIM AND HE HIT HIS RT. HAND WITH THE HAMMER.

EE WAS DRIVING IN #769 ALONG 8-WEST BELT AND HIT A BUMP IN ROADWAY, CAUSING A WASHBOARDING EFFECT AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF GATOR SENDING IT INTO THE CONVEYOR STRUCTURE.

INCIDENT WAS REPORTED ON 11-19-03. THE EE WAS OPERATING A SKID STEER TO MUCK IN A HOLE. HE STARTED DIGGING AND THE HYDRAULICS GAVE WAY AND THE KID STEER BUCKED HIM. AS THIS HAPPENED, HE WENT F ORWARD AND TWISTED AND HIT HIS KNEE AT THE SAME TIME.

EE WAS CARRYING A CANNISTER OF AFEX POWDER USED FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION ON THE SURFACE FRONT END LOADERS. HE HAD THE CANISTER ON HIS LEFT SHOULDER CARRYING IT AROUND THE LOADER TO ACCESS SIDE. EM PLOYEE TRIPPED OVER A PARTS BOX ON THE FLOOR, AS HE CAME AROUND THE LOADER. THE CANISTER LANDED ON HIS LEFT HAND.

WHILE ROOF BOLTING THE DRILL STEEL BROKE LEAVING A PORTION IN THE ROOF. THE EMPLOYEE REACHED TO MOVE THE STEEL GUIDE OUT OF THE WAY TO BETTER REMOVE THE STEEL FROM THE ROOF. JUST AFTER THIS IT FELL STRIKING THE BACK OF HIS LEFT HAND, FORCING HIS HAND DOWNWARD TO THE ROOF BOLTER HEAD, PINNING HIS HAND BETWEEN THE END OF THE DRILL STEEL AND THE BOLTER HEAD.

EE WAS TRYING TO PULL HIMSELF UP ON TO A PLATFORM FROM THE GROUND. AS HE USED THE GRATING TO PULL UP, THE GRATING MOVED AND PINCHED HIS FINGER BETWEEN THE GRATING AND THE ON THE PLATFORM. WHIC H CUT HIS FINGER AND HE WAS WEARING GLOVES.

EE WAS STANDING ON TOP STEP OF A 3-STEP WHEELED WORK PLATFORM WORKING ON A LHD. AS HE LEANED OVER ONTO LHD TIRE, IT REMOVED ENOUGH WEIGHT TO RELEASE THE WHEELS CAUSING THE PLATFORM TO MOVE AWA Y SLIGHTLY. THIS CAUSED THE EE TO LOSE HIS BALANCE AND FALL 2' TO THE FLOOR LANDING ON HIS LEFT HAND. POSSIBLE FRACTURE - CASTED AND RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY NOT LIFTING OVER 10 LBS.

AS EMPLOYEE COMPLETED HIS WORKPLACE INSPECTION PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TUNNEL TO POWDER, HE NOTICED SCALE ON THE RIB. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE 4' BY 4' SCALE BY HAND SCALING WITH SCALING BAR. DURING THE REMOVAL OF THE SCALE, THE SCALE CAME LOOSE. AS THE SCALE FELL, IT KNOCKED THE SCALING BAR OUT OF HIS HAND AND THE SCALING BAR STRUCK THE EMPLOYEE BEHIND THE LEFT EAR.

CLIMBING DOWN OFF OF IRON STRUCTURE, HE STEPPED OFF A 4""X4""X8' CRIB BLOCK AND TWISTED HIS ANKLE AND FELL TO THE FLOOR.

EE WAS CLOSING THE SERVICE CAGE DOOR AT THE SHAFT COLLAR WHEN THE TOP LATCH STRUCK THE HEADER KNOCKING SOME MATERIAL LOOSE FROM THE LEDGE ABOVE (SALT DUST/DIRT). THIS MATERIAL FELL ONTO HIS FA CE AND SLID INTO HIS LEFT EYE. HE IMMEDIATELY FLUSHED HIS LEFT EYE BUT STILL FELT PAIN, SO WE TOOK HIM TO HOSPITAL. THE PHYSICIAN DID NOT FIND ANYTHING BUT GAVE HIM PRESCRIPTIONS, WHICH HE TO

EE WAS TRAVELING AS A PASSENGER IN GATOR #769 ALONG 8-WEST BELT AND HIT A BUMP IN ROADWAY CAUSING A WASHBOARDING EFFECT & LOSS OF CONTROL OF GATOR AND EE FELL OFF GATOR WHEN GATOR STRUCK CONVE YOR STRUCTURE.