On September 21, 2016, a 52 year old contract drill operator / mechanic, with more than 30 years of experience, was killed at a limestone mine while performing maintenance on a truck-mounted rotary drill. At the time of the accident, the victim was attempting to remove the spindle cap from the top of the drill head while standing on the drilling deck. The victim was using a modified pipe wrench in an attempt to loosen the spindle cap using the machine’s drill rotation hydraulics by reaching into the operator’s compartment. As the victim activated the drill rotation lever, the wrench swung and struck him. The force of the impact knocked him against the operator’s cab, denting the frame and breaking the side window while the rotating wrench pierced his abdomen. As the victim attempted to climb down an adjacent step ladder, he was observed falling to the ground and striking his head. The victim was transported to a local hospital and died later that day as a result of his injuries.
Best Practices
- Establish and discuss safe work procedures to be used while performing maintenance on machinery. Incorporate the manufacturer’s recommended operating procedures into related safety and task training programs.
- Train all persons to recognize the potential hazards and understand safe work procedures to eliminate hazards before beginning work.
- Ensure that machinery components are blocked against hazardous motion prior to performing maintenance or repairs.
- Use appropriate equipment and hand tools for the job.
- Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
- Stay inside of the drill cab when operating the drill.
- Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (pdf).
On September 8, 2016, a 58-year old Haul Truck Operator with 23 years of experience was killed at a granite mine. The victim was operating a Caterpillar 773E haul truck and was returning to the pit to be loaded with shot rock. The truck veered from the right side of the haul road to the left and traveled over the berm at the top of the highwall. The truck landed upside down approximately 150 feet below. The victim was found outside the haul truck.
On August 9, 2016, a 33 year old Leadman Contractor, with 4 years of experience, was killed at a cement plant loadout. The victim was attempting to replace the lift cable pulleys on the barge loadout chute, when the anchor point for the temporary rigging separated from the loadout chute and it unexpectedly fell. The falling loadout chute caused the lift cables to tighten and the lift cables pinned the victim to the loadout chute causing fatal injuries.
On July 25, 2016, a 59 year old Excavator Operator, with 17 years of experience, was killed at a limestone quarry. Prior to the accident, the victim was loading shot rock into haul trucks. While waiting for the haul trucks to return, the victim was separating out over sized rocks when the cab of his excavator was struck by falling material from the highwall.
On June 27, 2016, a 61-year old Mine Superintendent, with 24 years of experience, was killed at a limestone quarry. The victim was building a ramp to the lower bench, was positioning his haul truck to dump a load of material near the edge of a highwall, and rolled backwards over the 90 foot highwall.
On June 3, 2016, a 24-year old haul truck operator, with 9 months of experience, and a 56-year old hydraulic excavator operator, with 6 years of experience, were killed at a sand and gravel operation. The two miners were working in a pit next to an abandoned roadway embankment, which partially bound an old pit. Waste clay and sand had been placed in the old pit for reclamation purposes. The embankment failed and the tailings and slurry engulfed both miners.
On May 10, 2016, a 46-year old maintenance man with 6 years of experience was fatally injured at a cement plant. The victim went to the top of the slurry tank to start the rake system. He fell 50 feet through a 3-foot by 4-foot opening in the walkway into the empty slurry tank below.
On April 11, 2016, a 61-year old dozer operator with 18 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface titanium ore mine. He had been leveling the haul roads into the pit with the dozer and was found lying approximately 30 feet in front of the dozer.
On April 9, 2016, a 25-year old plant operator with 4 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface copper ore mine. He was found unresponsive, kneeling with his face against a stainless steel flange that was connected to a high-density polyethylene pipe. The victim appeared to have received an electrical shock.
On March 22, 2016, a 42-year old lead man with 6 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface limestone mine when he was struck by fly rock from blasting operations. The lead man was parked in his pickup truck at a location to prevent others from accessing the blasting site. He was approximately 1,200 feet from the blast area.