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Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On June 21, 2012, a 49-year old customer truck driver with no mining experience was killed at a surface stone mine. He was driving a loaded dump truck, traveling down a grade, when the truck lost its brakes and went out of control. The victim jumped out and the truck ran over him. A passenger in the truck also jumped out and was treated at a hospital and released.

  • Ensure that mobile equipment operators are task trained adequately and demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
  • Maintain equipment braking systems in good repair and adjustment.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks to ensure the service brakes will stop and hold the mobile equipment prior to operating.
  • Know the truck’s capabilities, operating ranges, load-limits and safety features.
  • Operators of self-propelled mobile equipment shall maintain control of the equipment while it is in motion.
  • Operating speeds shall be consistent with conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Slow down or shift to a lower gear when necessary. Post areas where lower speeds are warranted.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating self-propelled mobile equipment.
  • Do not attempt to exit or jump from moving mobile equipment.
  • Provide adequate site specific hazard training to all customer truck drivers.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #11 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, July 14, 2012, a 25-year old water truck driver with 31 weeks of experience was killed at a surface mine. The victim was driving a water truck down a grade in an active work area of the mine when he lost control of the truck. The truck struck a berm on the right side of the roadway, traveled across the roadway, struck an embankment on the left side of the roadway and overturned, ending up facing opposite the original direction of travel. The victim was found ejected from the truck.

  • Train all employees thoroughly on proper work procedures, hazard recognition and avoidance, and proper use of roadway berms.
  • Conduct pre-operational checks to identify defects that may affect the safe operation of equipment before being placed into service.
  • Never operate a truck or other mobile equipment without using a seat belt.
  • Know the truck’s capabilities, operating ranges, load-limits, and maintain the brakes and other safety features properly.
  • Construct roadway berms to appropriate strengths and geometries. Ensure all grades and haulage roads are appropriate for the haulage equipment being used.
  • Maintain control of equipment at all times, making allowances for the prevailing conditions (low visibility, inclement weather, etc).
  • Observe all speed limits, traffic rules, and ensure that grades on haulage roads are appropriate for haulage equipment being used.
  • Always select the proper gear and downshift well in advance of descending the grade.
  • Maintain equipment braking and steering systems in good repair and adjustment. Never rely on engine brakes and transmission retarders as substitutes for keeping brakes properly maintained.
  • Monitor work habits routinely and examine work areas to ensure that safe work procedures are followed.
  • Do not attempt to exit or jump from a moving vehicle .

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #8 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On May 28, 2012, a 51-year old shift operator with 13 years of experience was killed at a cement operation. The victim was found near the plant’s crane bay building after being struck by a front-end loader. He was walking from the lunchroom toward the locker area.

Best Practices

  • Train all persons to stay clear of mobile equipment.
  • Be aware of the location and traffic patterns of mobile equipment in your work area.
  • Wear high visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.
  • Before moving mobile equipment, look in the direction of travel and use all mirrors and cameras to ensure no persons are in the intended path.
  • Sound the horn to warn persons of intended movement and give them time to move to a safe location.
  • Operate the mobile equipment at reduced speeds in work areas.
  • Ensure that backup alarms and lights on mobile equipment are maintained and operational.
  • Post signs to warn persons in areas where mobile equipment travel.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On May 23, 2012, a 36 year-old foreman with about 9½ years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He was operating an excavator on a dike separating two ponds. The ground beneath the excavator tracks failed and the excavator toppled into one of the ponds.

Best Practices

  • Examine work areas to identify all hazards and remediate before starting any work.
  • Evaluate the stability of the ground (slopes and berms) prior to operating equipment near any drop off or edge.
  • Always be attentive to changes in ground conditions and visibility when operating machinery.
  • Perform the work at a safe distance away from the edge of a pond or where the stability of the ground may be unknown.
  • If a potential hazard is present, use long reach equipment to limit exposure and maintain a safe distance away.
  • Consider areas that have experienced previous slope failures to be unstable and do not approach until the area is evaluated for stability.
  • Wear flotation devices where there is a danger of falling into water.
  • Be alert to changes in ground conditions such as cracking, bulging, sloughing, undercutting, and erosion.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #8 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Thursday, May 17, 2012, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a 57-year-old mechanic was killed at a coal preparation plant. The victim was standing on a 14-foot fiberglass extension ladder when it became unstable and slid across an I-beam. He fell down an adjacent hoist well opening 39 feet to the concrete floor below. He was attempting to cut and remove a 12-inch hoist beam located above the third floor in the plant.

Best Practices

  • Use fall protection when working in an elevated position and securely tie-off where the danger of falling exists.
  • Ensure all workers are adequately trained in the use of fall protection and restraint devices.
  • Examine fall protection equipment and personal protective equipment before each use. Ensure that defective equipment is replaced.
  • Use a ladder only on a stable and level surface, unless it has been secured (top or bottom) to prevent displacement.
  • Properly position ladders to ensure that footing is secure, that the ladder is resting in a manner that prevents movement, and that the ladder is protected from being struck by moving objects.
  • Keep your body centered between the rails of the ladder at all times. Do not lean too far to the side while working.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #5 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On April 11, 2012, a 49 year-old excavator operator with approximately 8½ years of experience was injured at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was removing bolts from a counterweight on the back of an excavator when the counterweight fell and struck him. He was hospitalized and died on April 12, 2012, as a result of his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Before working on or near equipment, establish safe work procedures consistent with the design of the machine. Train all persons to recognize and understand these procedures.
  • Follow the equipment manufacturer’s procedures for the work being performed to ensure that all hazards are addressed.
  • Provide adequate task training to persons assigned to perform the work. Utilize assistance from the manufacturer when the equipment incorporates new technology and features.
  • Install blocking materials before removing mounting bolts from machinery components which can fall during disassembly.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #7 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, a 61-year-old demolition contractor with approximately 20 years of experience was killed from injuries received while dismantling a conveyor stacker belt from the surface area of an inactive underground coal mine. The victim had completed the final torch cut on an elevated, inclined stacker frame support beam containing the counter-weight, when the structure fell. The structure contacted the walkway (catwalk) where the victim was located. This section of the walkway, approximately 25 feet long, broke loose from the main structure, causing the victim to fall approximately 27 feet.

Best Practices

  • Establish safe work procedures, which include incorporating the manufacturer’s recommendations, to assure that workers are not exposed to hazards when performing maintenance, repairs, or demolition activity.
  • Prior to beginning work, ensure that all workers are trained in safe work procedures.
  • Examine work areas during the shift for hazards that may be created as a result of the work being performed.
  • Before starting any work, clear the area of tripping and stumbling hazards.
  • Provide and maintain safe access to all work areas.
  • Secure structures against unexpected movement when performing demolition work.
  • Use appropriate fall protection where there is a danger of falling.
  • Stay focused on your work for your own safety and the safety of your fellow workers.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #5 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, March 17, 2012, a 55-year-old surface foreman with 19 years of mining experience was killed when he was caught between the frame of a highwall miner transportation dolly and a front-end loader with a duck bill attachment.

Best Practices

  • Never position yourself between equipment in motion and a stationary object. Always be aware of your location in relation to machine parts that have the ability to move.
  • Ensure mobile equipment operators are aware of your location at all times.
  • Maintain communication with mobile equipment operators when working in confined areas. Ensure that line of sight, background noise, or other conditions do not interfere with communication.
  • Ensure miners are adequately trained for the task they are performing.
  • Use a tow bar with adequate length and proper rating when towing heavy equipment.
  • Make yourself more visible by wearing brightly-colored clothing or clothing that is distinguishable from surroundings.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #3 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On February 22, 2012, a 46 year-old plant mechanic with 7 years of experience was injured at a crushed stone operation when he fell 16 feet from an elevated walkway of a conveyor to the ground below. The victim and a coworker had been bolting a snub pulley in position. The coworker was positioned on a walkway on the other side of the belt. The victim was hospitalized and died on February 26, 2012.

Best Practices 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Before starting any work, identify and control all hazards.
  • Train all persons to recognize and understand safe job procedures, including the proper use of fall protection.
  • Always use fall protection when working where a fall hazard exists.
  • Install railings or cables when persons are required to work or travel near the edge of a structure.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #2 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Sunday, February 26, 2012, at 1:15 a.m., a 52-year-old deckhand with 4 years of mining experience was determined missing. He had been assigned the task of measuring the draft of a set of empty barges that were to be loaded. He had to cross from the dock to the first empty barge. Witnesses observed him on the empty barge walking up-river on the barge. He apparently fell from the barge into the water. Co-workers saw his cap in the water and immediately called for the rescue squad. The victim was found beneath the bow of the dock at approximately 2:30 a.m. The miner was wearing a flotation device, but the flotation device was not designed to keep an unconscious miner’s face above water.

Best Practices

  • Utilize electronic devices to determine the draft in barges.
  • Install and use lifeline tie-off systems to provide fall protection over water.
  • Utilize and maintain sufficient area lighting and personal lighting.
  • Set up a look out and communications protocol. Do not work alone.
  • Ensure safe access is provided where persons are required to work or travel. Watch footing and stay clear of ropes, cables, and other obstacles. Use de-icing material to clear ice from walkways. Maintain three points of contact where practicable.
  • Wear properly fitted personal flotation devices (PFD) that are designed to keep an unconscious miner’s face above water.
  • Utilize wearable electronic emergency warning systems to immediately notify others of a fall into water. These devices can be equipped with water activated strobe lights and global positioning system (GPS) tracking.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).