MSHA reported that on March 15, a miner at Vulcan Materials’ Fort Pierce Mine in St Lucie County, Fla., drowned when the ground sloughed, causing the excavator he was operating to topple into a water-filled pit. The excavator became submerged in approximately 25 feet of water.
It was the 12th fatality reported in 2023, and the fourth classified as Machinery.
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident.
Mine operators should:
- Install berms at the edge of the working surface so machinery can operate a safe distance from the water.
- Evaluate ground conditions and mining methods before operating equipment near water.
- Examine work areas and equipment and correct unsafe conditions.
- Task train equipment operators on the operators on the operation of machinery.
On March 9, a truck driver died at United States Lime & Minerals Inc.’s Johnson County, Texas, location when the tractor’s rear wheels ran over him. A front-end loader struck the tractor-trailer from behind, causing the tractor to move forward.
It was the 11th fatality reported in 2023, and the second this year to be classified as Powered Haulage.
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Do not leave mobile equipment unattended unless the transmission is in the park position, and parking brakes of all units in a combination vehicle are set.
- Chock or turn wheels of mobile equipment into a bank when parked on a grade.
- Never position yourself in hazardous areas around mobile equipment.
Finally, MSHA reported that on March 1, a miner died at Elkhorn Stone, Pike County, Ky., when the bulldozer he was operating went over an embankment, ejecting him from the operator’s cab.
It was the 10th fatality reported in 2023, and the third classified as Machinery.
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident.
Operators should train miners to:
- Wear a seat belt while operating mobile equipment.
- Examine ground conditions before beginning work in an area and as ground conditions warrant during the work shift.
- Operate equipment safely, and to identify and report hazards.
- Be aware of their position relative to edges of roadways and benches.
At press time, there had been 16 deaths in the mining industry in 2023.