Bulldozer Operator

Two bulldozers pushing in the same area, operators talking on CB. D9 operator is injured worker. D-11 is colleague. D9 stopped talking. D11 found that D9 had gone over highwall. Injured worker passed away from injuries sustained.

Texto original en inglés de la MSHA

On Friday, December 29, 2017, at approximately 12:57 a.m., Thurman Watts, a 34-year-old bulldozer operator with 10 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when the Caterpillar D-9T bulldozer he was operating traveled over a highwall. The bulldozer dropped approximately 100 feet and continued down the spoil bank, coming to rest approximately 400 feet from the top of the highwall. At the time of the accident, Thurman Watts was removing overburden from a coal seam. The fatal accident occurred because safe work practices were not followed. The ground conditions were irregular. The bulldozer operated by Thurman Watts traveled onto an area of unstable spoil on the top of the highwall. Because of this, the bulldozer was not being operated a safe distance from the edge. The spoil slipped down the highwall face under the bulldozer, causing it to go over the highwall.

1. The policies and procedures used by the mine operator did not ensure that safe working conditions were provided for the employees at all times. The ground conditions were irregular and caused the bulldozer to travel onto an area of unstable spoil that had deposited on the top of the highwall. Because of this, the bulldozer was not being operated a safe distance from the edge. The spoil slipped down the highwall face under the bulldozer, causing it to go over the highwall.

   Acción correctiva: The mine operator developed a procedure and added it as a revision to its ground control plan to prevent a similar occurrence of this accident. The ground control plan was revised to require that equipment used to push material over elevated highwalls employ the “two blade” method of pushing (one blade of material will be left at the edge and pushed over with the following blade of material).

Hallazgos del informe final de investigación de la MSHA, que sustituye la narrativa preliminar anterior.

Actividad al momento del incidente

Bulldozer

Subunidad / ubicación

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Tipo de accidente

Golpeado contra un objeto en movimiento

Fuente de la lesión

SURFACE MINING MACHINES

Naturaleza de la lesión

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Parte del cuerpo afectada

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Experiencia minera total

10 years

Experiencia en esta mina

0 years

Experiencia en este puesto

0 years

Grado de la lesión

FATALITY