Powered Haulage

MNM Fatality – 11/27/24

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On November 27, 2024, an electrician died when a Load Haul Dump (LHD) loader struck him.  The electrician was outside of his mine utility vehicle and was struck by the LHD loader tire.

Best Practices

  • Communicate your intended movements to mobile equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence before you travel near mobile equipment.
  • Use reflective clothing and/or strobe light devices to increase your visibility.
  • Be aware of your location in relation to movement of equipment and stay clear of their normal paths of travel.

Additional Information

This is the 28th fatality reported in 2024, and the 12th classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 11/5/24

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On November 5, 2024, a miner died when the haul truck he was operating over travelled a dump point.  The edge of the dump point failed, causing the haul truck to travel backwards, overturn, and land on the roof of the cab.

Best Practices

  • Always dump material from a stable and safe location. If inspections indicate the ground conditions are not reliable, dump loads at a safe distance and push the material over the edge using a bulldozer.
  • Never load material from the toe of a stockpile directly below an active dump point.  This may lead to an over steepened and unstable slope, resulting in stockpile collapse.
  • Always construct substantial berms as a visual indicator to prevent overtravel or overturning. 
  • Always wear a seatbelt.
  • Train miners to use safe dumping procedures and recognize dumping hazards such as material slides and other unsafe conditions.

Additional Information

This is the 26th fatality reported in 2024, and the 11th classified as “Power Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Safety Alert: Dump Point and Stockpile Safety

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Recent accidents highlight the risks associated with dump points and stockpiles, especially where stockpile stability and visibility are of concern. Fatalities and serious injuries have occurred when heavy equipment operators traveled or dumped material too close to a stockpile edge or worked too close to the toe of an over-steepened stockpile. – MSHA

Click here to download PDF.

MNM Fatality – 9/18/24

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On September 18, 2024, a miner died when a front-end loader struck him after he exited his truck.

Best Practices

• When approaching mobile equipment, communicate your intended movements with equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence.
• Wear high-visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.
• Truck drivers should not exit their trucks during loading.
• Be aware of the location and traffic patterns of mobile equipment in your work area.
• Train miners in the safe operation of mobile equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s manual.

Additional Information

This is the 21st fatality reported in 2024, and the tenth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 9/6/24

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On September 6, 2024, a miner died when the haul truck he was operating traveled off the mine road and crashed into a residence.

Best Practices

  • Perform pre-operational examinations of mobile equipment.
  • Ensure berms and guardrails are at least as high as the mid-axle height of the largest mobile equipment using the roadway.  Use larger berms and runaway safety features where mobile equipment can likely lose control.
  • Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
  • Always wear a seatbelt and remain in the cab with your seatbelt on while operating mobile equipment.  Never attempt to exit or jump from an out-of-control vehicle.
  • Ensure miners are task trained in the safe operation of all equipment they use.

Additional Information

This is the 20th fatality reported in 2024, and the ninth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 8/11/24

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On August 11, 2024, a miner died while clearing spillage around a belt conveyor head roller. During this process, the belt conveyor moved forward causing the miner to fall 37 feet down a transfer chute, onto a belt conveyor, where he landed on the top of a stacker tube and fell approximately 60 feet onto a coal stockpile.

Best Practices

  • Lock out, tag out, and block belt conveyors against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance. 
  • Evaluate for possible stored energy and other hazards before beginning work. 
  • Provide safe access where miners work. 
  • Task train miners on safe work practices. 

Additional Information

This is the 13th fatality reported in 2024, and the eighth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 8/5/24

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On August 5, 2024, a miner was seriously injured when an air lifting bag he was using to rerail the conveyance that was carrying the longwall electrical power center suddenly dislodged.  The miner died from his injuries on August 7, 2024.

Best Practices

  • Block or secure equipment against hazardous motion.
  • Provide miners with proper tools for rerailing track equipment.
  • Train miners on safe work procedures and to identify hazards associated with their assigned tasks.

Additional Information

This is the 12th fatality reported in 2024, and the seventh classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 7/25/24

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On July 25, 2024, a miner died when he was engulfed in material against the stacker belt conveyor’s feed chute.  The miner was kneeling and shoveling on the stacker belt conveyor when the belt conveyor unexpectedly rolled back.

Best Practices

  • Evaluate for possible stored energy and other hazards before beginning work.
  • Use proper devices and tools to block machinery against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
  • Task train miners on safe work practices.

Additional Information

This is the 11th fatality reported in 2024, and the sixth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 7/12/24

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On July 12, 2024, a rock truck operator was seriously injured after being struck by the bucket of a front-end loader.  While walking to her parked truck, the rock truck operator passed under the raised front-end loader bucket as it was being lowered to the ground during maintenance.  On July 23, 2024, the rock truck operator died from her injuries.

Best Practices

  • Provide adequate illumination for miners performing maintenance.
  • Ensure the work area is clear and barricade equipment before performing maintenance.
  • Communicate your intended movements with mobile equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence before traveling near mobile equipment.  
  • Stay clear of raised equipment or machinery until it has been lowered or securely blocked against motion.  
  • Wear reflective clothing when working in dark conditions.

Additional Information

This is the tenth fatality reported in 2024, and the fifth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 5/9/24

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On May 9, 2024, a miner died when he was pinned between the personnel lift that he was operating and the roof of a structure.  The miner was tramming the personnel lift from the basket to conduct a roller repair on an elevated belt conveyor.

Best Practices

  • Ensure miners maintain control of personnel lifts while in operation.
  • Use a spotter when moving mobile equipment in congested areas and around structures.
  • Monitor miners routinely to ensure miners follow safe work procedures while operating personnel lifts. 
  • Ensure miners are aware of their location in relation to nearby structures.
  • Conduct workplace examinations to identify and eliminate hazards before beginning work in an area.
  • Train miners in the safe performance of their tasks in accordance with the manufacturer’s manual.

Additional Information

This is the sixth fatality reported in 2024, and the fourth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Check here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).