Powered Haulage

MNM Fatality – 9/18/24

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On September 18, 2024, a miner died when a front-end loader struck him after he exited his truck.

Best Practices

• When approaching mobile equipment, communicate your intended movements with equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence.
• Wear high-visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.
• Truck drivers should not exit their trucks during loading.
• Be aware of the location and traffic patterns of mobile equipment in your work area.
• Train miners in the safe operation of mobile equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s manual.

Additional Information

This is the 21st fatality reported in 2024, and the tenth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

MNM Fatality – 9/6/24

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On September 6, 2024, a miner died when the haul truck he was operating traveled off the mine road and crashed into a residence.

Best Practices

  • Perform pre-operational examinations of mobile equipment.
  • Ensure berms and guardrails are at least as high as the mid-axle height of the largest mobile equipment using the roadway.  Use larger berms and runaway safety features where mobile equipment can likely lose control.
  • Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
  • Always wear a seatbelt and remain in the cab with your seatbelt on while operating mobile equipment.  Never attempt to exit or jump from an out-of-control vehicle.
  • Ensure miners are task trained in the safe operation of all equipment they use.

Additional Information

This is the 20th fatality reported in 2024, and the ninth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

Coal Fatality – 8/11/24

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On August 11, 2024, a miner died while clearing spillage around a belt conveyor head roller. During this process, the belt conveyor moved forward causing the miner to fall 37 feet down a transfer chute, onto a belt conveyor, where he landed on the top of a stacker tube and fell approximately 60 feet onto a coal stockpile.

Best Practices

  • Lock out, tag out, and block belt conveyors against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance. 
  • Evaluate for possible stored energy and other hazards before beginning work. 
  • Provide safe access where miners work. 
  • Task train miners on safe work practices. 

Additional Information

This is the 13th fatality reported in 2024, and the eighth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

Coal Fatality – 8/5/24

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On August 5, 2024, a miner was seriously injured when an air lifting bag he was using to rerail the conveyance that was carrying the longwall electrical power center suddenly dislodged.  The miner died from his injuries on August 7, 2024.

Best Practices

  • Block or secure equipment against hazardous motion.
  • Provide miners with proper tools for rerailing track equipment.
  • Train miners on safe work procedures and to identify hazards associated with their assigned tasks.

Additional Information

This is the 12th fatality reported in 2024, and the seventh classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

Coal Fatality – 7/25/24

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On July 25, 2024, a miner died when he was engulfed in material against the stacker belt conveyor’s feed chute.  The miner was kneeling and shoveling on the stacker belt conveyor when the belt conveyor unexpectedly rolled back.

Best Practices

  • Evaluate for possible stored energy and other hazards before beginning work.
  • Use proper devices and tools to block machinery against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
  • Task train miners on safe work practices.

Additional Information

This is the 11th fatality reported in 2024, and the sixth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

Coal Fatality – 7/12/24

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On July 12, 2024, a rock truck operator was seriously injured after being struck by the bucket of a front-end loader.  While walking to her parked truck, the rock truck operator passed under the raised front-end loader bucket as it was being lowered to the ground during maintenance.  On July 23, 2024, the rock truck operator died from her injuries.

Best Practices

  • Provide adequate illumination for miners performing maintenance.
  • Ensure the work area is clear and barricade equipment before performing maintenance.
  • Communicate your intended movements with mobile equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence before traveling near mobile equipment.  
  • Stay clear of raised equipment or machinery until it has been lowered or securely blocked against motion.  
  • Wear reflective clothing when working in dark conditions.

Additional Information

This is the tenth fatality reported in 2024, and the fifth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

MNM Fatality – 5/9/24

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On May 9, 2024, a miner died when he was pinned between the personnel lift that he was operating and the roof of a structure.  The miner was tramming the personnel lift from the basket to conduct a roller repair on an elevated belt conveyor.

Best Practices

  • Ensure miners maintain control of personnel lifts while in operation.
  • Use a spotter when moving mobile equipment in congested areas and around structures.
  • Monitor miners routinely to ensure miners follow safe work procedures while operating personnel lifts. 
  • Ensure miners are aware of their location in relation to nearby structures.
  • Conduct workplace examinations to identify and eliminate hazards before beginning work in an area.
  • Train miners in the safe performance of their tasks in accordance with the manufacturer’s manual.

Additional Information

This is the sixth fatality reported in 2024, and the fourth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Check here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality 4/15/24

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On April 15, 2024, a miner died when the tail section of a collapsible belt conveyor fell and pinned him between the tail section and middle section.  The miner was working as part of a crew to tear down the conveyor in preparation to be moved.

Best Practices

  • Block all equipment against hazardous motion before beginning work.
  • Stay clear of suspended loads.
  • Never enter or work in pinch points or Red Zones around equipment.
  • Identify hazards associated with the task, review those hazards with all miners involved, and implement measures to protect miners.
  • Train all miners in the safe performance of tasks.

Additional Information

This is the fourth fatality reported in 2024, and the third classified as “Powered Haulage.”

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

MNM Fatality – 7/26/23

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On July 26, 2023, a miner suffered serious injuries when he lost control of the pickup truck as it ascended a haul road. The victim died several months later from his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Perform pre-operational examinations of mobile equipment.
  • Maintain control of self-propelled mobile equipment while it is in motion.
  • After repair and maintenance, ensure mobile equipment is safe to operate.
  • Always wear a seatbelt and remain in the cab with your seatbelt on while operating mobile equipment. Never attempt to exit or jump from an out-of-control vehicle.

Additional Information

This is the 40th fatality reported in 2023, and the tenth classified as “Powered Haulage”.

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

Customer Truck Driver – Safety Alert

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Since 2021, customer truck drivers have been involved in six fatal accidents.

Best Practices

  • Provide site-specific hazard awareness training to customers, including commercial over-the-road truck drivers. 
  • Alert customer truck drivers to changes in traffic procedures, patterns, or road conditions.
  • Provide fall protection or safe means of access to customers who need to gain access to containers or tankers on their vehicles if there is danger of falling. 
  • Provide and maintain a safe location for drivers to tarp their loads.
  • Ensure customers follow proper loading and dumping procedures.

Click here for MSHA Alert (pdf).