On May 13, 2019, a 57-year-old truck driver with 12 years of experience was fatally injured when his haul truck rolled over. The haul truck was ascending a haul road when it slowed, stopped, and rolled backwards over 300 feet. The haul truck then ran up a hill, which caused it to roll over.
Best Practices:
- Task train mobile equipment operators adequately and ensure each operator can demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
- Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment.
- Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
- Load trucks within the safe operating range based on the load rating of the truck, the road grade, and weather conditions.
- Exercise caution when approaching grades and operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
- Maintain equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s service and maintenance schedules.
Rescission Date: June 26, 2019
The Acting Chair of MSHA’s Chargeability Review Committee reviewed the death certificate, autopsy report, and MSHA’s accident investigation findings and determined that the miner died from natural causes. The fatality is not chargeable to the mining industry.
[Since MSHA in their infinite wisdom is no longer counting MNM vs. Coal that confuses the number on every fatality for 2019 after this. I have attempted to go back and change those already posted so they correspond to the numbers MSHA references, but you may notice some text within the fatalgram that references old numbers. – Randy]