The agency issued its latest hazard alert bulletin this week, citing three fatal accidents in 20 months where the conveyor the victim was working on started unexpectedly and either conveyed them under obstructions or off the end of the belt.

“In each case, the conveyor drive motor was not deenergized, locked and tagged,” MSHA investigators said.

“In one accident, a co-worker knew the victim had not locked out.”

Two of the three killed had less than six months of industry experience.

In hopes of preventing future similar incidents at the nation’s mines which could lead to injury or death, the agency stressed locking, tagging and deenergizing of all drive motors before work begins.

Additionally, crews should practice the “brother’s keeper” safety method, maintaining communications at all times and insisting on one another’s use of safe work procedures.

Before starting a conveyor, workers should do a visual check of the line beforehand, and also account for all of the work team’s members.

Operators should provide a pre-startup alarm on the belt that is loud enough to be heard, and the individual tasked with start-up should sound that alarm beforehand.

MSHA reminded operators to provide and maintain safe means of access to all working areas of a mine and, just as importantly, train all miners on general safety as well as task safety.

Finally, there is no substitute for establishing and following safe work procedures and, if a fall hazard exists in any area, fall protection should be used.

For more on belt safety, visit the MSHA web site.