On July 10, 2015, a 50-year old Superintendent with 26 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel dredge operation. Two miners were attempting to dislodge the clam shell bucket from the bottom of the pond when the dredge capsized. One miner was injured but was able to swim to shore and summon assistance. The victim was recovered eight days later.
Best Practices
- Always wear a life jacket where there is a danger of falling into the water.
- Ensure that machinery components are blocked against hazardous stored energy prior to performing maintenance or repairs.
- Task train all persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.
- Examine and test all safety devices on a regular basis and ensure that they are operating properly.
- When non-routine tasks or problems occur, conduct a risk analysis before starting the task to ensure that all hazards are evaluated and eliminated.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (pdf).