Front-End Loader

Victim was operating front-end loader in coal pit area, when a highwall failure occurred, covering the front-end loader completely.

Texto original en inglés de la MSHA

On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, at approximately 2:07 p.m., Micky Cook, a 38-year-old surface miner with 14 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when a large portion of a highwall (approximately 7,000 to 8,000 cubic yards) toppled, crushing the operator’s cab of his front-end loader. Cook was operating the front-end loader to remove blasted material near the base of a 63-foot highwall. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not conduct adequate daily examinations to identify hazardous highwall conditions and correct such hazards before allowing miners to work near the base of the highwall. Additionally, the mine operator did not follow safety provisions of the mine’s Ground Control Plan (GCP). If implemented, these GCP requirements would have caused several safety measures to be initiated to eliminate hazardous highwall conditions. Furthermore, the mine operator did not adequately train miners regarding the safety provisions of the mine’s GCP.

1. The mine operator did not conduct adequate daily inspections of the mine in that it did not recognize hazardous highwall conditions. Failure to identify and correct the hazardous highwall conditions allowed miners to be assigned to work in close proximity to the hazardous highwall.

   Acción correctiva: All mine foremen were trained on February 11, 2019, regarding proper daily inspections and hazard recognition pertaining to surface mining. The mine operator provided documentation of the training and the attendees. MSHA monitored the training.

2. The mine operator did not follow several provisions of the mine’s GCP. The mine operator did not ensure that the miners were knowledgeable in the provisions of the mine’s GCP.

   Acción correctiva: The mine operator submitted a revised GCP which was reviewed and acknowledged by the District on January 23, 2019. The revision enhances safety by requiring, at all times, a 60-foot distance between the highwall and mobile equipment operators. Blasting will remove 180 feet from the pit and mobile equipment operators will only excavate 120 feet of blasted material, leaving a 60-foot buffer between them and the highwall. The mine operator trained all employees on the mine’s GCP on January 28, 2019, and provided documentation of the training and the attendees.

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

Actividad al momento del incidente

Front-End Loader

Subunidad / ubicación

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Tipo de accidente

Golpeado por objeto que cae

Fuente de la lesión

CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE

Naturaleza de la lesión

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Parte del cuerpo afectada

HEAD,NEC

Experiencia minera total

14 years

Experiencia en esta mina

1 year

Experiencia en este puesto

14 years

Grado de la lesión

FATALITY