On April 22, 2021, a 53 year old dredge operator with 6 years 40 weeks experience* was fatally injured at a sand & gravel mine with 3 employees* when leaving the mine site in his personal pickup truck. The manual swing barrier gate was partially closed. A gate pole entered the truck’s windshield as the pickup truck approached, striking the victim and causing fatal injuries.
Best Practices:
- Ensure that manual swing barrier gates can be secured when opened or closed to prevent unintentional movement.
- Paint or tape swing barrier gates with reflective and distinguished markings to differentiate them from their surroundings. Install additional lighting near barrier gates.
- Conduct thorough travelway examinations to identify and mitigate hazards.
- Establish safetraffic patterns with proper signage.
- Be alert to road conditions and always keep a clear line of sight.
- Maintain proper speed for road conditions.
Additional Information:
This is the ninth fatality reported in 2021, and the fifth classified as “Powered Haulage” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).