MSHA MINE FATALITY – On June 24, 2019, a 34-year-old contractor with 10 years of experience, received fatal injuries when he fell beneath the wheels of a tractor-trailer. Miners were using a bulldozer to pull the tractor-trailer, which had become stuck in the sand. As the tractor-trailer began to be pulled, the victim was seen walking toward the side of the truck. The victim died at the scene from crushing injuries after being run over by the truck wheels.
- Do not allow people to ride in any area of a vehicle that is not equipped with a seat belt.
- When approaching large mobile equipment, do not proceed until you communicate and verify with the equipment operator your planned movement and location.
- Stay in the line of sight with mobile equipment operators. Never assume the equipment operator sees you.
- Ensure, by signal or other means, that all persons are clear before moving equipment.
This is the 11th MSHA fatality reported in calendar year 2019. As of this date in 2018, there were 11 MSHA fatalities reported. This is the 5th Powered Haulage accident classification fatality in 2019. There were six Powered Haulage accident classification fatalities during the same period in 2018.