On March 22, 2023, a miner died when the personnel carrier he was riding overturned. Another miner riding on the personnel carrier accidentally actuated the emergency stop causing the personnel carrier to drift backwards down a grade. The personnel carrier struck a coal rib and overturned, pinning the victim beneath it. The victim was not riding in a designated seating area.
Best Practices
- Maintain steering and braking components.
- Perform functional tests of brakes and other safety devices during the pre-operational examination.
- Tag out and remove equipment from service when defects affecting safety are found.
- Do not exceed the maximum designed seating capacity of personnel carriers.
- Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with roadway conditions.
- Task train miners on all equipment they operate.
Additional Information
This is the 14th fatality reported in 2023, and the third classified as “Powered Haulage.”
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).