Maintenance Man

Miner was attempting to bring disabled truck down from the upper most harvest area. As he was dumping load, breaks let loose & truck went down uncontrollably. As it came to the next lower level, it hit a berm causing the miner to be ejected through the right hand window & was presumed to have been struck by a part of truck.

On June 13, 2013, Jose A. Gonzalez Sr., Lead Mechanic, age 49, was killed when the haul truck he was driving went out of control, struck a berm, and was propelled into the air. The haul truck came to a stop with the bed overturned and the cab upright. The victim was ejected from the haul truck. Prior to the accident, the haul truck had been located on a steep, temporary ramp leading up to an area that was being cleared for quarry expansion. Jaime Bethard, Truck Driver, had backed the haul truck up the ramp to get a load of tree stumps and debris. He noticed an oil leak at one of the wheels and decided to drive the haul truck down the ramp to park it for repairs. As Bethard was traveling down the ramp, the parking brake locked up and the haul truck would not move. Jose A. Gonzalez Sr. was called to help remove the truck from the ramp. Due to a series of events, Jose A. Gonzalez Sr. was unable to maintain control of the haul truck as it descended the steep ramp. The haul truck was freewheeling with no transmission retarder braking and he had little time, due to the steep grade, to respond. The accident occurred because management failed to ensure that the braking systems on the haul truck were maintained in a functional condition, causing the haul truck to stop on the ramp. Management also failed to ensure that the haul truck could be safely towed for repairs. The victim failed to maintain control of the truck he was operating and failed to wear the provided seat belt, contributing to the severity of his injuries.

1. Management failed to ensure that routine maintenance was performed on the braking systems on the haul truck.

   Corrective action: Management developed procedures to be followed when a haul truck signals a brake warning to the operator of the haul truck. All supervisors, mobile equipment operators, and mechanics have been trained regarding what procedures to follow when a brake warning occurs on a haul truck.

2. Management policies, procedures, and controls did not ensure the victim wore his seat belt when operating the haul truck.

   Corrective action: All truck drivers received additional training regarding the required use of seat belts when operating a haul truck. Management will monitor truck drivers to ensure seat belts are worn.

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 by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Source of injury

HGHWY ORE CARIER,LRGE TRK

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

15 years

Experience at this mine

15 years

Experience in this job

30 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY