Displaying items by tag: Accident

US: The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has blamed the management of Ash Grove Cement’s policies, procedures and controls for the death of a worker at its Midlothian cement plant in May 2016. Roderick Barnes, a maintenance worker aged 46 years, died from a fall from the top of a slurry tank. In its report on the incident the MSHA said that the cement producer failed to provide protection around openings through which workers could fall and that that it failed to use fall prevention and protection devices. The MSHA has issued five citations for violations of the Mine Act is relation to the event.

India: Four contract workers have been injured by an explosion at an ACC cement plant in Sindri, Jharkhand. Sindri deputy superintendent of police Vikash Kumar Pandey told the Hindustan Times that a cylinder in the fine coal crusher plant exploded, probably due to extra pressure generated by the hot air generator attached to the crusher. The injured workers have been taken to Bokaro General Hospital where their conditions are said to be critical. ACC has stopped production at the plant to conduct a internal inquiry into the incident.

Pakistan: A raw meal silo has collapsed at the Fauji Cement Company plant at Tehsil Fateh Jang, Punjab. The structure containing 25,000t of raw material collapsed on 29 May 2016 also causing damage to the coal mill area of second production line. The company reported no casualties.

Fauji Cement has shutdown its 7200t/day second production line following the incident. It expects that the line will remain closed for approximately five to six months. However, dispatches out of stock will continue as the plant’s cement mills are operating normally. The plant’s 3700t/day first production line is currently undergoing planned maintenance and will resume production soon.

The cement plant’s second production line was completed and started in 2011.

US: A worker has died from a fall at the Midlothian Ash Grove Cement plant in Texas on 10 May 2016. The worker, Roderick U Barnes, was a maintenance mechanic at the plant according to the Waxahachie Daily Light newspaper. Barnes had been working on the top of a concrete mixing tower. The Mine Safety and Health Administration and Ash Grove Cement are conducting investigations into the cause of the accident.

Egypt: Four workers were killed and at least 35 others were injured on 27 December 2014 when a scaffold collapsed in the Sinai Cement plant in central Sinai. Sinai Cement denied that it had a connection with the accident in a statement.

Malawi: One worker has died and three others have been injured at the Shayona Cement Factory in Kasungu. Hot clinker caused the injuries due to an open door at the plant according to local media. Three of the injured workers, including the deceased worker, were from Malawi. The fourth worker was from India.

"When they switched on the furnace, the cement stone busted from the clinker and produced hot ashes which covered them. One died in the process of receiving treatment, while the other three are in critical condition," said local police.

India: A worker was killed on 10 May 2014 while cleaning the belt of a crusher in Jaypee's cement plant in Chhijwar, Madhya Pradesh.

The incident took place when the worker, Gulab Patel, who was cleaning the crusher belt got trapped in the machine. The victim was rushed to Rewa's Sanjay Gandhi Hospital but he died on the way.

Patel's family have alleged that he was killed inside the plant and that the management failed to inform them about the incident. The family said that they came to know about the incident only through other workers. The plant management has agreed to pay compensation of US$16,753, provide a job to a family member and also provide free training to the son of the deceased.

India: A fire broke out at the government run Jammu & Kashmir Cement plant in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir on 3 December 2013. No one was hurt and damage was caused to "a few machines like motors, diesel oil tank, hot air generator and coal mill," said a police spokesman. Fire and emergency services responded swiftly and put out the fire in an hour. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Australia: Cement Australia and Cement Australia (Kandos) (CA Kandos) have been fined a total of US$172,843 for the death of Colin David Fuller at the Kandos cement plant in 2009. Fuller was fatally injured when he was crushed between two hydraulic rams while working at the factory on 13 September 2009, according to the Mudgee Guardian.

The North South Wales (NSW) Industrial Relations Commission found that CA Kandos and Cement Australia had breached the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000, by failing to install fixed guarding along the entire length of a feeder and conveyor system as required by Australian safety standards and failing to provide adequate supervision and instruction to Fuller. In the judgement Commissioner J Backman found that the systems in place at the time of Fuller's death were comprehensive but defective in a number of respects.

Nigeria: One worker was killed on 31 July 2013 at the Dangote Cement Gboko plant when he was hit by falling limestone, according to the All Africa Media Group. The deceased labourer, Solomon Ashir, was killed instantly.

Ashir was from the local community, which reacted angrily towards Dangote following his death. Many were of the opinion that health and safety measures at the plant had been deficient.

Bonfires were lit on the roads used to access the plant in the hope of trapping key staff members in the plant and Ashir's body was even carried into the office of the local Assistant General Manager (AGM) in charge of mines. He had fled the office in fear for his life before the protesters arrived.

Local media reported that Dangote representatives took the body to the local hospital after the protesters had vacated the office. Dangote's community relations manager could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ezeala, confirmed that the incident had taken place and said that an investigation into the cause of the incident was underway.