MSHA reported that on Sept. 8, at Lynch Corp., Providence, R.I., a contract haul truck driver was injured while dumping a load of material at the top of a stockpile. The ground under the truck failed, causing the truck to overturn onto its cab. The driver died later from his injuries.
This is the 22nd fatality reported in 2025, and the ninth classified as “Powered Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Construct substantial berms, bumper blocks, safety hooks, or similar impeding devices at dumping locations where there is a hazard of overtravel or overturning.
- Conduct workplace and ground condition examinations before beginning work in an area.
- Always dump material from a stable and safe location. If examinations 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 that is below an active dump point. This typically leads to a slope that is unstable and too steep.
- Maintain stockpile slopes no steeper than the angle of repose.