Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver

Haul truck driver was dumping material at dump site. Truck went over the dump site and overturned at the lower level. Crews responded and notified Emergency Response. First aid was provided until EMTs arrived.

On January 19, 2021, at approximately 1:00 p.m., Jared Payne, a 39-year-old haul truck operator with over 15 years of experience, died when the ground under the dump site collapsed, causing the truck he was operating to overturn. The fatality occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) have procedures for dumping material away from the edge of the dump site, 2) establish mining methods to assure stability of the dump site, 3) provide adequate dump site restraints, 4) examine dump sites prior to beginning work, and 5) assure that mobile equipment operators wore seat belts.

1. The mine operator did not have adequate policies or procedures in place to dump material a safe distance from the edge of the dump site.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised their policies and procedures for dumping a safe distance from the edge of the dump bank. The mine operator trained all miners on the new policies and procedures.

2. The mine operator did not use mining methods that maintained slope stability of the dump bank. The mining method involved removing material from the toe of the dump bank, creating a hazardous condition at the dump site.

   Corrective action: The mine operator created a written policy to assure that the toe of the dump bank is intact to assure stability of the dump site. The mine operator trained all miners on the new written policy.

3. The mine operator did not provide adequate dump site restraints.

   Corrective action: The mine operator created a written policy addressing requirements for dump site restraints to assure that they adequately impede overtravel. The mine operator trained all miners on the new policy.

4. The mine operator did not inspect dump sites prior to dumping.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised their written policy to address inspecting dump sites before beginning work, including dumping, as part of workplace examinations required by 30 CFR § 56.18002. The mine operator included work place examinations as a task in its training plan and trained competent persons in the task. The mine operator instructed all miners not to begin work prior to the examination.

5. The mine operator did not assure that miners were wearing seat belts while operating mobile equipment.

   Corrective action: The mine operator retrained miners in the mandatory use of seat belts while operating mobile equipment.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Haulage Or Dump Truck

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck against a moving object

Source of injury

HGHWY ORE CARIER,LRGE TRK

Nature of injury

UNCLASSIFIED,NOT DETERMED

Body part affected

HEAD,NEC

Total mining experience

15 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY