MSHA recently issued a special safety alert reminding miners that the holiday season is full of distractions, which often result in accidents and injuries. The alert mentions a number of best practices:

• Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions that can decrease
bank or slope stability and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of
the hazards.

• Train persons to recognize the hazards of working near belt conveyors.

• De-energize and block belt conveyors against motion before working near a chute, drive,
head, tail, and take-up pulleys.

• Lock-out/tag-out all energy sources to belt conveyors before working on them.

• Always use fall protection when working where a fall-to-below hazard exists.

• Establish policies and procedures for safely clearing plugged material in a jaw crusher.

• Maintain and use all available methods of communication, such as sirens and radios, to
warn persons of an impending blast. Establish methods to ensure that all persons are out
of the blasting area.

• Always wear a life jacket where there is a danger of falling into the water.