The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) just released a report stating that on Jan. 26, a dump truck at Ouachita Rock Potable, Polk County, Ark., rolled backward onto a 54-year-old miner while the miner was attempting to troubleshoot a brake issue. The dump truck operator was unaware that the miner was under the truck when he released the parking brake, allowing the dump truck to roll backward.
This was the fifth fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Powered Haulage.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Block machinery or equipment against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
- Communicate with mobile equipment operators and assure they acknowledge your presence, before traveling near mobile equipment. Do not assume that mobile equipment operators know that you are in the vicinity.