MSHA reported that on Nov. 5, a miner at Samuel G. Hurworth in Crane County, Texas, died when the haul truck he was operating over travelled a dump point. The edge of the dump point failed, causing the haul truck to travel backwards, overturn and land on the roof of the cab.
This is the 26th fatality reported in 2024, and the 11th classified as “Power Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Always dump material from a stable and safe location. If inspections indicate the ground conditions are not reliable, dump loads at a safe distance and push the material over the edge using a bulldozer.
- Never load material from the toe of a stockpile directly below an active dump point. This may lead to an over-steepened and unstable slope, resulting in stockpile collapse.
- Always construct substantial berms as a visual indicator to prevent overtravel or overturning.
- Always wear a seatbelt.
- Train miners to use safe dumping procedures and recognize dumping hazards such as material slides and other unsafe conditions.
MSHA also reported that on Nov. 27, an electrician at Cargill Inc. in Ohio died when a Load Haul Dump (LHD) loader struck him. The electrician was outside of his mine utility vehicle and was struck by the LHD loader tire.
This is the 28th fatality reported in 2024, and the 12th classified as “Powered Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Communicate your intended movements to mobile equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence before you travel near mobile equipment.
- Use reflective clothing and/or strobe light devices to increase your visibility.
- Be aware of your location in relation to movement of equipment and stay clear of their normal paths of travel.