On Wednesday, November 2, 2011, a 28 year old bulldozer operator, with approximately 8 years of mining experience, was injured at a surface mine. The victim was conducting reclamation work on top of a graded slope when he lost control of the bulldozer and it rolled over several times, approximately 250 feet to the bottom of the slope. The operator was wearing a seat belt, but sustained serious injuries. He was hospitalized and died subsequently on November 14, 2011.
Best Practices
- Task train miners adequately on the equipment they will operate.
- Train all employees on proper equipment operation procedures, hazard recognition, and hazard avoidance.
- Establish and follow safe work procedures and ensure that personnel are trained to recognize hazardous work procedures or activity.
- Be familiar with your work environment. Before you start grading an area, look at it, walk around it, and plan the safest way to move the material and maneuver the equipment.
- Install tilt gauges in dozers and do not exceed the equipment’s maximum operating angles.
- Maintain control of equipment at all times during operation.
- Ensure that personnel operating mobile equipment always wear seat belts.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).