On August 14, 2010, a 23 year-old dredge operator with 4 years of experience died at a sand and gravel dredge operation. The victim and another miner were pulling a small boat from a dredge pond onto a boat trailer attached to a pickup truck. When the boat slipped back into the water, the victim attempted to retrieve it and drowned.
Best Practices
- Wear a life jacket where there is a danger from falling into water.
- Review procedures to ensure all possible hazards have been identified and appropriate controls are in place to protect miners before beginning work.
- Develop procedures for loading and unloading boats in dredge operations and train all persons.
- Inspect equipment, including the winch and cable, prior to use and maintain in a safe condition.
- Attach the trailer winch rope securely to the boat prior to removing from the water.
- Ensure that persons working around water receive training for swimming.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf)