Laborer

There were no witnesses to the accident. The operator was found outside of his loader buried under gravel that had sloughed off of the stock pile he was loading from. Fellow employees were attempting to remove the gravel from on top of him when officials showed up. Officials declared him dead at the scene.

William G. Makela, front-end loader operator, age 64, was killed on August 3, 2015, when he was engulfed by a slide of material from the stockpile. Makela had exited the front-end loader and was standing beside the loader prior to the slide. The accident occurred due to management’s failure to identify possible hazards and establish safe procedures associated with work or travel near stockpiles. The stockpile ground conditions created a fall of material hazard from lack of maintenance and trimming. Failure to recognize the hazard of working near the stockpile face contributed to the accident.

1. Management failed to correct the hazardous stockpile ground conditions. The stockpile was constructed 39 feet high, and the slope was greater than the angle of repose despite not having equipment able to safely trim the pile to the angle of repose. The stockpile ground conditions created a fall of material hazard from a lack of trimming or maintenance.

   Corrective action: The stockpile was trimmed to the angle of repose. Management retrained miners in identifying and controlling areas of the stockpile where hazardous slips can occur. Additionally, a Standard Operating Procedure was adopted that load out is only allowed when equipment is on site that is able to trim the 35 foot high stockpile to the angle of repose.

2. Management failed to ensure that all persons could recognize the fall of material hazards associated with working near the stockpile and traveling between the stockpile and equipment. Makela did not recognize the hazard imposed by the stockpile and exited the front-end loader between the loader and the stockpile, hindering escape.

   Corrective action: Miners were trained to evaluate the potential hazards of falling material and the dangers of work or travel between stockpiles and equipment.

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

Activity at time of incident

Getting On Or Off Equipment

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck by rolling or sliding object

Source of injury

SAND,GRAVEL,SHELL

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

10 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

10 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY