THE Western Australian Department of Consumer and Employment Protection (DOCEP) has released a safety alert warning of the hazards posed by cyclone draw in Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling.  
The alert comes after a man’s fingers were amputated while attempting to retrieve a plastic sample bag that had been sucked up inside the cone and into the draw of an RC drill rig.  
According to the DOCEP, the large plastic sample bag had been sucked up inside the base of the splitter by dust suppression fans.
The DOCEP alert recommends that drilling companies must review their RC drilling procedures to ensure that employees are not exposed to the hazards posed by a sliding draw beneath the sample cyclone.
The DOCEP recommends that all RC drill rig operators make it more difficult to access potential pinch points on RC drill rigs by installing blocking devices.  

Key contact:
Martin Knee
State Mining Engineer
ResourcesSafety@docep.wa.gov.au  
www.docep.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety

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