Fire

MNM Fatality – 6/14/24

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Note: This alert was posted as a Safety Alert for Tire Explosion on 7/19/24 and didn’t come up on my radar as a specific Fatal Alert. Sorry for the delay in posting to this site. – Randy

On June 14, 2024, one firefighter died, and another was injured when a front end loader tire exploded while firefighters fought the equipment fire.

Best Practices

In the event of a possible or actual fire (e.g., odor, heat, smoke, flames):

  • Stop the machine, lower all attachments, set the parking brake, and turn the equipment off.
  • Actuate the machine-mounted fire suppression system, if available.
  • Safely exit the machine and retreat to a safe location, preferably 1,000 feet away.
  • Warn all others in the vicinity of the fire, notify management, and contact appropriate emergency personnel.
  • Do not attempt to extinguish a tire fire with a hand-held extinguisher.
  • Wait for emergency responders to arrive. Stay clear of the fire.
  • From a distance, emergency personnel can use a fire or water truck to cool down the equipment. (See SAE J2828NOV2016 – Off-Road Tire Handling Guidelines.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

NFPA Issues Outdoor Heater Fact Sheet

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Because of the pandemic there are many efforts to use heaters to allow people to be in outdoor areas for dining and other social activities longer into the colder season. In response the National Fire Protection Association has issued an informative two page fact sheet that includes helpful safety information if you use propane heaters on the job or anywhere.

Click here for the Fact Sheet (pdf).

MSHA Fire Alert

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In the ten months since early September 2018, MSHA has documented nine equipment fires involving Hitachi excavators and shovels and Caterpillar haul trucks, front end loaders and dozers. On September 7, 2018, a miner received fatal burn injuries when a fire occurred on a haul truck and the manually-activated fire suppression system did not function when activated. The remaining eight equipment fires were all reported as non-injury.

Access MSHA’s alert here (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).