On Monday, September 15, 2014, a 53-year old bulldozer operator, with 28 years of experience, sustained fatal injuries when the bulldozer he was operating went over the edge of an approximately 50-foot highwall. The victim was preparing a bench for drilling when the accident occurred.
Best Practices
- Be familiar with the work environment. Before beginning work, walk around and check the area. Plan the safest way to move the material and maneuver the equipment.
- Train all employees adequately on the equipment they operate, safe work procedures, hazard recognition, and hazard avoidance.
- Be attentive to changes in ground conditions and visibility. Watch for surface cracks and loose material.
- Keep the dozer blade between you and the edge when operating close to drop offs. Dump loads short of the highwall edge and push one load into another to maintain a safe distance from the edge.
- Maintain all equipment window glass clean and in good repair.
- Maintain a safe distance from the edge of the highwall. Use a spotter or other technology to assist equipment operators when working near highwalls.
- Perform additional checks during the work shift to ensure ground conditions have not changed when the edge of a slope cannot be seen from the operator’s position
- Ensure that personnel operating mobile equipment always wear a seat belt.
- Monitor work activities to assure safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)