The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on April 19, a miner at Frontera Materials, Hidalgo, Texas, stopped his haul truck in front of his personal vehicle to get his lunch. While standing and eating his lunch, the haul truck rolled forward, pinning the miner between the haul truck and his personal truck.
This is the eighth fatality reported in 2021, and the fourth classified as “Powered Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Do not leave mobile equipment unattended unless the controls are placed in the park position and the brake is set. NEVER use a steering column-mounted “dump brake” for parking.
- When parking mobile equipment on a grade, chock the wheels or turn them into a bank. Maintain equipment braking systems in good repair and adjustment.
- Position yourself in a safe location away from potential “danger-zone” areas.
- Train miners to safely perform their tasks.