Prevention of Fall of Person Accidents in Mines – DGMS Guidelines & Safety Measures

🧾 DETAILED NOTES

1️⃣ Introduction

Fall-of-person accidents are among the top 3 fatal accident categories in Indian mines. These accidents occur when workers fall from benches, high walls, dump edges, conveyor walkways, ladders, platforms, or into sumps, pits, trenches, and shafts. DGMS mandates strict height-work safety protocols across both coal and metalliferous mines.

2️⃣ Applicable Regulations

Rule / Regulation	Description
CMR 2017 – Reg. 99, 100, 106, 107	Edge protection, benches, working at height, dumping rules.
MMR 1961 – Reg. 123, 124	Safe work at height / depth.
DGMS Circular Tech. 08/2015	Mandatory use of full-body safety harness.
Mines Act, 1952 – Sec. 23	Employer responsibility for worker safety.

3️⃣ Common Causes of Fall Accidents

Working without safety harness or lifeline.
Unprotected edges (benches, sumps, trenches).
Weak, slippery, or unstable working surfaces.
Defective ladders or platforms.
Poor illumination and lack of barricading.
Failure to follow SOPs / Working alone.

4️⃣ HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS IN MINES

Bench edges in opencast mines
CHP/CPP walkways & Conveyor galleries
Shaft mouth / pit bottom
Water-filled pits & sumps
Stopes, winzes & ore passes in metal mines

5️⃣ MANDATORY PREVENTIVE MEASURES (DGMS)

5.1 Engineering Controls:

Guardrails ≥ 1.1 m height and Toeboards on platforms.
Barricading of open pits / excavations.
Anti-slip walkways and ladder cages.
Edge bund height = half tyre height (for benches).

5.2 PPE Requirements:

Full-body harness (double lanyard).
Shock absorber & lifeline conforming to IS 3521.
Helmet with chin strap and high-grip safety shoes.

5.3 Procedural Controls:

Work at height only under competent supervision.
Permit-to-work (PTW) system mandatory.
Pre-job risk assessment (JSA).
Buddy system — no worker left alone.

6️⃣ RESPONSIBILITIES

Role	Responsibility
Manager	Ensure barricades, approved PPE, supervision & SOPs are in place.
Competent Person	Inspect work site, ensure lifeline anchorage & harness use.
Workers	Use PPE correctly, follow instructions, avoid shortcuts.

⚡ QUICK ONE-LINERS (Revision)

Fall of persons = one of the major fatal causes in mines.
DGMS Circular 08/2015 = height work safety.
Edge protection mandatory above 1.1 m height (general).
Full-body harness is compulsory for elevated work (fall arrest).
Illumination must be uniform and adequate.
Working alone at height is strictly prohibited (Buddy System).
Pit & sump edges must be barricaded.
Use PTW for all height/depth jobs.
Ladder cages required for tall ladders.
Most fall accidents are 100% preventable.

🧠 DESCRIPTIVE Q&A

Q. Explain the causes and preventive measures of accidents due to fall of persons from height / into depth in mines.

Answer:
Fall-of-person accidents occur primarily due to inadequate edge protection, non-use of safety harness, poor lighting, absence of barricading, defective ladders, and lack of supervision. DGMS mandates full-body harness (DGMS Circular 08/2015) with double lanyard, lifelines, guardrails (≥ 1.1 m), and anti-slip platforms. Work at height must be performed under competent supervision with a permit-to-work (PTW) and pre-job risk assessment. Pits, trenches, and sumps must be barricaded. These engineering and procedural controls, if strictly enforced, significantly reduce the likelihood of fatal fall accidents.

🧮 25 MCQs (Dynamic Answers A–E)

Q1. DGMS circular for mandatory safety harness:

Solution: DGMS Technical Circular 08/2015 specifically mandates safety provisions and the use of full-body harnesses for work at height.

Q2. Minimum required height for guardrails:

Solution: Standard guardrail height for fall protection is 1.1 m (42 inches) or higher.

Q3. Mandatory PPE for height work:

Solution: A full-body harness is the required PPE for safely arresting a fall.

Q4. Work at height must be done under:

Solution: All hazardous work, especially at height, must be performed under the supervision of a competent person.

Q5. Common cause of fall accidents:

Solution: Failure to guard open edges (benches, walkways, platforms) is a leading cause of fatal falls.

Q6. Ladder safety requires:

Solution: Ladders must have rungs designed to prevent workers' feet from slipping, especially in wet or muddy conditions.

Q7. Pit edges must be:

Solution: Any edge near a depth (pit, trench, sump) must be clearly marked and protected by strong physical barriers (barricades).

Q8. PTW is required for:

Solution: A Permit-to-Work (PTW) system is mandatory for high-risk, non-routine activities like working at height or maintenance near live machinery.

Q9. Buddy system ensures:

Solution: The buddy system ensures a standby worker is present to watch the worker at height and provide immediate aid/raise the alarm if needed.

Q10. Fall protection lifeline must be:

Solution: The lifeline must be securely anchored to a solid structure that can withstand the sudden impact load of a fall (≥ 15 kN).

Q11. Illumination for height work must be:

Solution: Proper and uniform lighting (adequate lux level) is mandatory to eliminate shadows and improve visibility, preventing missteps.

Q12. Working near deep pits requires:

Solution: Physical barricading (guardrails/bunds) is essential to prevent workers or vehicles from falling into depth.

Q13. Safety harness must be:

Solution: All PPE used for life safety must be manufactured and certified according to the relevant Indian Standard (IS 3521).

Q14. Unstable surfaces cause:

Solution: Unstable or slippery surfaces directly increase the risk of a worker losing footing, leading to a slip and fall.

Q15. Mandatory supervision by:

Solution: All high-risk jobs must be overseen by a competent person (Overman, Foreman, Engineer) who understands the hazards.

Q16. Guardrails prevent:

Solution: Guardrails act as a physical barrier and a primary safety control measure to prevent workers from falling over an edge.

Q17. Winze or sump entry requires:

Solution: Confined spaces or entries into deep, potentially gaseous, or water-filled areas require a lifeline, retrieval system, and a dedicated standby attendant.

Q18. Rope access must follow:

Solution: All high-risk activities must be governed by a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) based on risk assessment.

Q19. Slippery surfaces must be:

Solution: To reduce slip hazards, surfaces must be kept clean, and methods like sand application or grooving (roughening) should be used.

Q20. Hazardous openings must have:

Solution: The barrier must be strong enough (strong barricades/guardrails) to physically prevent accidental entry or falling into the opening.

Q21. Height work prohibited during:

Solution: Adverse weather conditions severely compromise stability and worker control, making height work unsafe.

Q22. For conveyor belt height work:

Solution: Working on a conveyor requires a formal Permit to Work (PTW) and mandatory energy isolation (LOTO) to prevent entanglement.

Q23. Full body harness should have:

Solution: A double lanyard allows the worker to maintain continuous connection ("100% tie-off") while maneuvering around obstacles.

Q24. Underground winze hazards include:

Solution: A winze (internal shaft or excavation) presents a major hazard of falling into depth.

Q25. DGMS requires height work training:

Solution: Competency and safe practices must be reinforced through regular refresher training, typically mandated annually.

🔗 INTERNAL LINKING

Related Topic	Read More On...
DGMS Guidelines	DGMS Height Work Guidelines
PPE Standards	Full Body Harness Approval
Risk Prevention	Accident Prevention (Opencast)
Safety Management	Integrated Safety Management Plan (SMP)

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