The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on Jan. 19, 2021, a miner at Clyde Companies’ Hansen Pit, Salt Lake County, Utah, backed a haul truck to the edge of a dump point that was over-steepened by a loader removing material at the bottom of the slope. When the edge of the bank failed, the haul truck traveled backwards and overturned, landing on the roof of the cab. The miner was fatally injured.
This is the second fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Powered Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Always dump material in a safe location. If ground conditions aren’t reliable, dump loads a safe distance back and push the material over the edge.
- Never load material from the toe directly below an active dump point. This may lead to an over steepened and unstable slope.
- Never drive haul trucks beyond cracks on the top of the dump site.
- Always construct substantial berms as a visual indicator to prevent overtravel. Clearly mark dump locations with reflectors and/or markers.
- Always wear a seatbelt.
- Install advanced systems that restrain miners during roll-overs.
- Maintain communication between equipment operators and loaders.
- Train miners to use safe dumping procedures and recognize dumping hazards such as material slides and other unsafe conditions.