A safety milestone was recently achieved at the El Dorado Facility in the Permian Basin
Commissioned in 2018, Black Mountain Sand’s El Dorado facility mines frac sand or “proppant” specifically for use in hydraulic fracturing. This December marked two years without a lost time incident at the facility.
Striving for safety excellence within a mining operation is no easy task. While there are many opportunities for dangerous incidents, every employee must be committed to do their part in maintaining a safe operating environment. Constant evaluation and improvement play a vital role in achieving performance goals which would not be possible to accomplish without a dedicated workforce.
Black Mountain Sand has a rigorous safety program that engages its employees in safe work practices. Before each shift, safety inspections are performed, and equipment is examined prior to operation. There are weekly safety reviews, New Hire and Annual Refresher training for all employees as well as task training for employee-specific job duties.
Black Mountain Sand also utilizes iScout, a safety management tool, to provide employees with the technology to proactively manage the safety program. The use of iScout allows field staff to complete inspections and hazard assessments on their mobile device and immediately assign corrective actions for any concerns that arise. With the ability to input and track this data straight from the source, response times become drastically faster. The outcome is increased efficiencies and innovative safety and operational problem solving.
Black Mountain Sand puts a lot of effort and pride into maintaining a safe operation. “The El Dorado facility has been a safety leader in the Black Mountain Sand portfolio and has achieved back-to-back years (2019 & 2020) without a lost time incident,” says HSE Director Dan Ferriter. “El Dorado continues to embrace our mantra by using the tools and systems in place to identify and correct hazards and unsafe behaviors to eliminate injuries.”
Mining is historically one of the most dangerous industries in the United States, suffering from major disasters and multiple fatalities. In response, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was established in 1978 to regulate all surface and underground mines. MSHA is much like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) except MSHA is required to physically inspect surface mines twice a year. Thanks to the work MSHA has done, the fatality and accident rate in the mining industry has fallen significantly since its establishment.
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