Fatality #15 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On November 3, 2018, a 44-year old shift supervisor with 3 years of experience was killed when a loaded Caterpillar 785B haul truck ran over her pickup truck at the crusher site.

Best Practices

  • Communicate and verify with all equipment operators your planned movements and location upon entering a work area.
  • Ensure all persons are trained to recognize workplace hazards. Specifically, train equipment operators on the limited visibility and blind spot areas that are inherent to the operation of large equipment. Do not drive or park smaller vehicles in mobile equipment’s potential path of movement.
  • Instruct all operators on the importance of using flags or strobe lights on the cabs of their vehicles to make haulage truck operators aware of their location.
  • Install and maintain collision avoidance/warning technologies on mobile equipment.

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

Fatality #14 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 25, 2018, a 42-year old miner with 13 years of experience was killed when the back fell while he was loading explosives in the face.  The back was comprised of cemented backfill and weighed approximately 150 tons.

Best Practices

  • Implement a robust quality control program to ensure cemented rock fill is mixed and placed properly, especially when it constitutes the main method of ground support.
  • Examine and test ground conditions in areas where work is to be performed prior to work commencing and as warranted during the shift.  Be alert for changing conditions, especially after activities that could cause back/roof disturbance.
  • When ground conditions create a hazard to persons, install additional ground support before other work is permitted in the affected area.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potentially hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards.

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

Fatality #13 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 25, 2018, a 29-year old laborer with 9 weeks of experience was fatally injured when the truck he was driving veered off the haul road and climbed an embankment, causing the truck to overturn.  He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Best Practices

  • Always wear a seat belt when operating mobile equipment.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment, especially vehicles with high centers of gravity.

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

Fatality #8 for Coal 2018

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On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, a 33-year-old auger helper with 3 days of total surface mining experience received fatal injuries during auger mining activities. The victim was attempting to move a section of auger steel by using the onboard crane when he was struck in the chest.
Best Practices: 

  • Maintain equipment in safe operating condition. Excessive pressure in a hydraulic circuit can drastically alter the control of booms, etc., creating serious hazards.
  • Establish policies and procedures for auger mining including, safe work procedures for removing auger steel from the auger tray.
  • Task train miners to recognize all potential hazards and understand safe job procedures before beginning work.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to ensure safe work procedures are being followed. Unauthorized persons should be kept clear of the work area.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that exposes you to hazards. Stand clear of suspended loads having the potential of becoming off-balanced while being moved.

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

Fatality #12 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 19, 2018, a 63-year old quarry manager, with 17 years of experience, was fatally injured when he lost control of the haul truck he was driving.  The victim was operating a haul truck down a steep grade and traveled through a berm and over a short drop-off.  The victim was not wearing a seat belt.

Best Practices

  • Always wear seat belts when operating mobile equipment.
  • 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.
  • 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.  Among other things, they should be constructed of appropriate materials, be of adequate height, and be built on firm ground.

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

Fatality #11 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 11, 2018, a 26-year old miner with 48 weeks of experience at the mine was fatally injured as a result of falling from on top of a previously cut block of granite.  The victim was in the process of separating the cut block of granite from the highwall when the cut block suddenly slid out.  The movement caused the miner, who was not wearing fall protection, to lose his balance and fall between the rock and the highwall causing fatal injuries.

Best Practices

  • Install fall protection systems that allow safe movement to perform work.
  • Always conduct examinations of working places in order to identify loose ground or unstable conditions before work begins and as changing ground conditions warrant.
  • Ensure that the person conducting the examination has the training and experience to recognize potential hazards.
  • Discuss work procedures and identify all hazards associated with working near highwalls along with the methods to protect personnel.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing work tasks.

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

Fatality #10 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 2, 2018, a 40-year old miner with 20 years of experience was fatally injured when struck by stemming sand ejected from a borehole.  While conducting a blasting operation in a new vertical raise, a contract foreman was attempting to clean out a previously blasted vertical borehole with high-pressure air.  A sudden release of energy forced stemming sand from the bottom of the borehole, striking the miner.

Best Practices

  • Assess the suitability of blasting methods when blasts do not perform as intended.
  • Use water to clean out the bottom of boreholes used for blasting.
  • Never position yourself directly over or in front of the collar of a borehole when cleaning it out.
  • Ensure miners are adequately task trained.

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

Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On August 22, 2018, a 29-year old miner with 1 year of experience was fatally injured while cleaning a snub pulley.  The victim was working from an aerial lift located under the belt conveyor when he became entangled in the conveyor pulley.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that persons assigned to clean conveyor belts have received adequate training and verify that safe belt conveyor work practices are followed.
  • Stay clear of moving equipment and do not reach into any part of a moving conveyor.
  • Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing when working around moving conveyor belt components.
  • Verify that all incoming power connectors are open by a circuit breaker, the conveyor is stopped and secured from movement before working on belt conveyors.
  • Provide and maintain safe access to elevated areas where routine maintenance is performed.

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

Fatality #7 for Coal 2018

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On Friday, September 7, 2018, a 60-year-old haul truck operator with 1 year of total mining experience received burn injuries while attempting to escape from the cab of the burning haul truck he was operating.  Due to complications associated with his injuries, the victim died five days later.
Best Practices: 

  • Thoroughly examine all haulage equipment and repair safety defects before placing equipment into service.  Follow the original equipment manufacturers maintenance recommendations.
  • Check for accumulations of combustible materials, cracked or blistered hoses, and uninsulated wires.
  • Be alert to changes in the way the equipment sounds or to a visible plume of exhaust coming from the exhaust system.
  • Conduct risk assessments on all equipment to determine safe exit locations for required escape and evacuation plans.
  • Establish and keep current an Escape and Evacuation Plan for exiting equipment in the event of a fire (§ 77.1101).  Train employees on contents of this plan.
  • Install well designed stairs or ladders to the equipment at both ends for an alternate escape.
  • Ensure fire suppression systems are properly maintained and protected from damage.  Install automatic fire suppression systems and train miners on their use.

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