Mining In The Snow

Mine Safety In The Snow

By:  The Mine Safety Institute, Part 46 New Miner Training

Mine Safety In The Snow Video Sample

Mining In The Snow For Surface Miners

The winter brings snow and with snow comes more than cold, but also new hazards to otherwise familiar places. Walkways that you might move along every day are now slippery, possibly slippery in the afternoon when they weren’t in the morning! Also, snow hides ground hazards that would normall be visible. Checking walkways for tripping hazards as well as immediately cleaning up after a task becomes increasingly more important when snow can hide what is on the ground.

• Snow hides hazards!
• Where there’s snow there’s ice.
• Drive more slowly than usual.
• Don’t walk or drive in areas where snow isn’t cleared.

• Look for ice or other changes in ground condition since you were last there, even if you were just there.
• When snow falls down you need to look up as well as down for hazards.
• Look for icicles that may have formed on banisters as well as overhead surfaces.

• Pre-shift cleanup will require more time during snowy conditions in order to clear away snow and ice from all ground, hand and overhead surfaces.
• Although you should always clean up after a task, it’s important to be conscious of making walkways COMPLETELY clear because snow will cover hazards that might otherwise have been out of the way if they were visible.