On September 17, 2023, contractor driller helper died while driving a service truck to transport a rod handler on the bed.  The service truck left the road, overturned, and the driver was ejected.  The passenger, who was wearing his seat belt, was injured, treated and released from the hospital.

Best Practices

• Wear seat belts when operating mobile equipment.
• Conduct pre-operational inspections and correct any safety defects before operating mobile equipment.
• Maintain control of equipment. 
• Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.

Additional Information

This is the 33rd fatality reported in 2023, and the ninth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf).

Delisted by MSHA after Investigation revealed accident did not occur within MSHA’s jurisdiction.

On May 13, 2019, a 57-year-old truck driver with 12 years of experience was fatally injured when his haul truck rolled over. The haul truck was ascending a haul road when it slowed, stopped, and rolled backwards over 300 feet. The haul truck then ran up a hill, which caused it to roll over.

Best Practices: 

• Task train mobile equipment operators adequately and ensure each operator can demonstrate proficiency in all phases of mobile equipment operation before performing work.
• Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment.
• Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
• Load trucks within the safe operating range based on the load rating of the truck, the road grade, and weather conditions.
• Exercise caution when approaching grades and operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
• Maintain equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s service and maintenance schedules.

Rescission Date:  June 26, 2019

The Acting Chair of MSHA’s Chargeability Review Committee reviewed the death certificate, autopsy report, and MSHA’s accident investigation findings and determined that the miner died from natural causes.  The  fatality is not chargeable to the mining industry.

[Since MSHA in their infinite wisdom is no longer counting MNM vs. Coal that confuses the number on every fatality for 2019 after this. I have attempted to go back and change those already posted so they correspond to the numbers MSHA references, but you may notice some text within the fatalgram that references old numbers. – Randy]

On October 31, 2017, a 340-ton haul truck ran over a passenger van carrying nine miners. The driver of the van and the miner in the front seat were fatally injured. Of the remaining seven miners, one suffered a non-life threatening injury.

Best Practices

• When approaching large mobile equipment, do not proceed until you communicate and verify with the equipment operator your planned movement and location.  Provide radio communication systems between vehicles and large mobile equipment.
• Ensure, by signal or other means, that all persons are clear before moving equipment.
• Minimize situations where smaller vehicles need to approach large haul trucks (e.g., arrange for haul truck drivers to have supplies available at the pre-shift meeting place, rather than delivering supplies to the truck).
• Do not drive or park smaller vehicles in a large truck’s potential path of movement.
• Equip smaller vehicles with flags or strobe lights positioned high enough to be seen from the cabs of haulage trucks.
• Install and maintain proximity detection or collision avoidance/warning systems and cameras.

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

On December 21, 2016, a 39-year old contract truck driver, with 11 months of mining experience, was injured on the surface of an underground gold mine. The victim was hauling gold ore in an over-the-road truck from the mine to the plant. While descending the roadway from the mine, the victim lost control of his truck. He traveled up an embankment and over an approximate 20 foot drop, landing back in the roadway. The victim was transported to the hospital and died from his injuries several days later.

Best Practices

• Maintain equipment braking systems in good repair and adjustment.  Never rely on engine brakes and transmission retarders as substitutes for keeping brakes properly maintained.
• Maintain control of equipment at all times, making allowances for prevailing conditions (low visibility, inclement weather, etc).
• Examine haulage roads for hazardous conditions prior to permitting equipment access and especially when conditions change due to snow, ice, or water.
• Communicate hazardous conditions to other persons using the haulage road. Ensure traffic rules, signals, and warning signs are posted and obeyed.
• Keep roadways clear and safe for travel. Remove snow and ice which may cause loss of traction for equipment along roadways.
• Train all employees on proper work procedures, hazard recognition and avoidance.
• Know the truck’s capabilities, operating ranges, load-limits and properly maintain the brakes and other safety features.
• Use chains for better traction while stopping or climbing on snow covered steep grades, consider the use of chains for better traction while stopping or climbing.

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