Miner

Customer was driving loaded dump truck down a grade when the truck went out of control. He jumped from the cab and was run over by the truck. Truck involved in accident was owned by a customer, not a contractor or mine operator.

Terry C. Johnson, Customer Truck Driver, age 49, was killed on June 21, 2012. He was operating a loaded dump truck, descending a decline on a paved roadway between the quarry loading point and scale house, when the truck's brakes failed. The truck left the roadway, partially climbed a tree-covered embankment, and came to rest facing the opposite direction. Johnson jumped from the truck but was run over by the moving vehicle. Jeffrey Jones, a passenger in the truck, also jumped out of the truck. Jones received medical treatment at a hospital and was released. The accident occurred when the truck's brakes failed and Johnson attempted unsuccessfully to shift to a lower gear, causing the truck's speed to increase. Mine operators are required to provide hazard training to customer truck drivers. A sign warning mobile equipment operators of a steep decline was not placed in a position along the roadway to effectively warn them to reduce speed by shifting into a lower gear before descending the decline. If the sign had been placed at the top of the decline, the operator could have shifted into a lower gear. Management failed to establish policies and procedures ensuring the control of traffic on the mine's roadways.

1. The access road from the quarry to the scale house is a decline starting at approximately 5 degrees increasing to approximately 9 degrees. When the truck's brakes failed while descending the decline, the operator was unable to shift to a lower gear. The sign at the top of the decline is placed approximately 700 feet from the crest of the hill. The sign was not placed in a position along the roadway to effectively warn mobile equipment operators to reduce speed or shift to a lower gear before descending the decline. In addition, the operator's methods for ensuring that all visitors receive site -specific hazard awareness training was not adequate.

   Corrective action: Management placed a sign at the crest of the hill prior to the start of the decline to effectively warn mobile equipment operators to reduce speed or shift to a lower gear before descending the decline. Management also posted a sign in plain view that contained all required site-specific hazard awareness information.

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

Activity at time of incident

Escaping A Hazard

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

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

Source of injury

HGHWY ORE CARIER,LRGE TRK

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Degree of injury

FATALITY