On June 24, 2019, a 34-year-old contractor with 10 years of experience, received fatal injuries when he fell beneath the wheels of a tractor-trailer. Miners were using a bulldozer to pull the tractor-trailer, which had become stuck in the sand. As the tractor-trailer began to be pulled, the victim was seen walking toward the side of the truck. The victim died at the scene from crushing injuries after being run over by the truck wheels.

Best Practices: 

• Do not allow people to ride in any area of a vehicle that is not equipped with a seat belt.
• When approaching large mobile equipment, do not proceed until you communicate and verify with the equipment operator your planned movement and location. 
• Stay in the line of sight with mobile equipment operators. Never assume the equipment operator sees you.
• Ensure, by signal or other means, that all persons are clear before moving equipment.

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

On July 31, 2018, a 62-year old foreman with 40 years of experience, was fatally injured while dismantling a portable crusher. The front-end loader was placing a 20-foot long steel tube onto the screen feed conveyor. The front-end loader operator lowered the bucket and crushed the victim against the conveyor structure.

Best Practices

• Front-end loader operators must ensure personnel are not near the machine when in operation.
• Use cranes with appropriate rigging and tag lines to position components.
• When working near equipment, make eye contact with the equipment operator and directly communicate your intended movements.
• Wear a reflective vest or clothing while working.
• Ensure all persons are trained to recognize workplace hazards – specifically, the limited visibility and blind areas inherent to operation of large equipment.
• Prior to starting the task, train miners on proper maintenance procedures and discuss steps that will be taken to safely perform the job.

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

On June 13, 2018, a 65-year old truck driver with 4 years of experience was fatally injured when his truck traveled over a berm and into an impoundment of water.  Divers recovered the victim in 20 feet of water.

Best Practices

• Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment.
• Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment. Maintain equipment braking and steering systems in good repair and adjustment.
• Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
• Ensure that berms are adequate for the vehicles present on site, including but not limited to height, material, and built on firm ground.
• Consider storing personal flotation devices in equipment that is being operated near water.
• Ensure that all exits from cabs on mobile equipment, including alternate and emergency exits, are maintained and operable.
• Use seat belts when operating mobile equipment.

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

On April 12, 2018, a 60-year old customer truck driver was killed when he fell from, and was run over by, his truck while scanning into the operator’s check-in system.  The victim was found underneath the belly dump of the semi-trailer, and the truck was still in gear.

Best Practices

• Implement check-in system technology that can be scanned remotely from inside the vehicle such as a RFID tag or indicator.
• Commercial and customer truck drivers should remain in their trucks while on mine property, unless a safe area for tarping and checking their loads has been designated.
• Operators should place their equipment in neutral and set the parking brakes before exiting the operator compartment.
• Rules establishing safe operating procedures should be posted.
• Ensure workers who operate heavy equipment are adequately informed, instructed, trained and supervised.

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

On January 25, 2018, a 38-year old equipment operator with 4 years of mining experience was killed when his articulated haul truck travelled through a berm and into an ice covered pond, submerging the truck’s cab.  Rescuers utilized divers and tow trucks to pull the submerged truck from the pond and recover the victim.

Best Practices

• Do not operate heavy equipment when fatigued. The effects of fatigue include tiredness, reduced energy, and physical or mental exhaustion. These conditions become progressively worse as fatigue increases.
• Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment. Monitor persons routinely to determine safe work procedures are followed.
• Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment.  Maintain equipment braking and steering systems in good repair and adjustment.
• Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
• Ensure that berms are adequate for the vehicles present on site, including but not limited to height, material, and built on firm ground.
• Ensure that all exits from cabs on mobile equipment, including alternate and emergency exits, are maintained and operable.
• Use seat belts when operating mobile equipment.

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

On September 5, 2017, a 20-year old plant operator with 23 weeks of experience was fatally injured at a sand and gravel mine. The victim was performing maintenance on a belt conveyor when he became entangled in the tail pulley.

Best Practices

• Establish policies and procedures for conducting specific tasks on belt conveyors.
• Before beginning any work, ensure that persons assigned to work on belt conveyors are task trained and understand the hazards associated with the work to be performed.
• Do not perform work on a belt conveyor until the power is off, locked, and tagged, and machinery components are blocked against motion.
• Never clean pulleys or idlers manually while belt conveyors are operating.
• Identify hazards around belt conveyor systems, design guarding, and securely install the guarding to ensure miners do not contact moving machine parts.

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

On March 24, 2017, the victim exited his personal flatbed truck, which was left running in 6th gear, to turn off the genset (diesel generator). Prior to ascending the steps to the diesel generator, it appears the flatbed truck moved forward and pinned him against the genset trailer. The victim was found on Monday, March 27, 2017, and pronounced dead at the scene.

Best Practices

• Place the transmission in park and set the park brake before exiting vehicle.
• Do not depend on hydraulic systems to hold mobile equipment in a stationary position.
• Always chock the wheels when parking vehicles on a grade.
• Never place yourself in front of an unsecured piece of mobile equipment

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