Warehouseman

Employees A and B were using a forklift to dump bulk bags of waste product to rerun thru plant for reuse, when employee B got on forklift and turned forklift over on its side resulting in fatal injury.

On December 29, 2014, Adrian Moreno, Warehouse Bagger, age 21, was killed while operating a forklift carrying a bulk bag of dust. The forklift went out of control and overturned onto its left side. Moreno was a new miner and had only worked at the mine for six days prior to the day of the accident. He had not completed the 24 hours of required new miner training. The day of the accident was his seventh day on the job. The accident occurred due to management’s failure to provide Moreno task training for the safe operation of the forklift. The victim was a new miner and had not received task training in the possible hazards of operating a forklift, a task in which he had no previous experience.As a result, Moreno failed to maintain control of the forklift at all times while he was operating it. Moreno was not wearing a seat belt. Management also failed to provide Moreno all of the required new miner training. Management did not require Moreno to work where an experienced miner could observe that the work was being performed in a safe and healthful manner.

1. Management failed to establish policies or procedures to protect miners who utilize forklifts in their job assignments. Management failed to provide Moreno task training for the safe operation of the forklift. The victim was a new miner and had not received task training in the health and safety aspects of operating a forklift, a task in which he had no previous experience.

   Corrective action: Management established written standard operating procedures to be used by persons operating forklifts when moving and dumping the bulk bags of waste dust material. The procedures include forklift speed, height of the load being transported, and how to lift the load. The procedures also require that the operator wear a seat belt at all times when operating a fork lift. The operator has trained all miners who utilize forklifts on this new procedure.

2. Management failed to ensure that the victim and another new miner, were working where an experienced miner could observe that the new miners were performing their work in a safe and healthful manner. Both miners were using a forklift to transport bulk bags of dust but had not completed the required 24 hours of new miner training.

   Corrective action: Management developed and implemented a revised training plan that requires all training to be provided according to the requirements of the revised training plan. All new miners that have not completed their training must work where they can be observed by experienced miners.

Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.

Activity at time of incident

Fork Lift

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Source of injury

FORKLIFTS,STACKERS,TRCTR

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

HEAD,NEC

Total mining experience

0 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY