A MINE worker has received facial injuries and chemical burns to his eyes after being sprayed by acidic foam from a pressurised line.
According to investigations by the mines inspectorate, the worker had been at the end of a 12 hour shift and the incident occurred as he was packing up the equipment.
The worker, who had not been wearing safety goggles, had been injecting the foam into a cavity in the roof of a long-wall face. He failed to reduce the pressure in the line before disconnecting the fluid-filled line.
Colleagues flushed out his eyes with water, before he was treated by paramedics. He did not lose his eyesight.
The safety alert issued by the mines inspectorate emphasised the importance of controlling the release of pressurised hazardous substances, wearing correct personal protective equipment, and immediate first aid in such instances. It also encouraged the active use of material safety data sheets.

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