On Thursday, December 20, 2018, a mobile bridge carrier (MBC) operator, with 5 years and 21 weeks of mining experience, was fatally injured while operating his detached, remote-controlled machine during the mining process. As the continuous haulage system pulled forward in preparation of mining, he was crushed between the coal rib and the No. 2 mobile bridge conveyor that was between both mobile bridge carriers.
Best Practices:
- Maintain communications between equipment operators of a continuous haulage system prior to starting or tramming any component of the system.
- Institute and maintain a high level of equipment-specific training for all operators, which includes proper operator positioning during machine operation and also protocols for certain scenarios.
- Do not position yourself in pinch-point areas while remotely operating equipment. Ensure that equipment operators remain in the confines of the equipment cab, if equipped, while the machine is running.
- Always perform thorough pre-operational examinations on mobile equipment to identify any defects that may affect the safe operation of equipment before it is placed into service.
- Be familiar with the de-energizing switches on your machine and remote-control unit. “Panic-out” at the first sign of a hazardous situation.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).