Front-End Loader

EE was traveling up the meadow road to load a truck. While driving up the road, EE shook the bucket to make sure it was clean. The bucket contacted the ground and made the loader suddenly stop and propel EE into the windshield.

Francis E. Tatro, a 69-year-old front-end loader operator with over 37 years of total mining experience, died from aspiration pneumonia on January 8, 2020. Tatro suffered injuries and hospitalization as a result of an accident on July 30, 2019. Tatro was operating a front-end loader when the front-end loader’s bucket contacted the ground, causing the front-end loader to abruptly stop. The force of the impact resulted in Tatro, who was not wearing a seat belt, striking the front window, which caused serious injury, including paralysis to the arms and legs. The accident and the resulting fatality occurred because: the mine operator did not make certain that the front-end loader operator wore the provided seatbelt and maintained control of the equipment while it was in motion.

1. Fatal injuries occurred because the operator of the front-end loader did not wear the required seatbelt supplied in the Caterpillar 966K front-end loader.

   Corrective action: Mine management reinstructed miners on their seat belt policy and the provisions of 30 CFR § 56.14130 (g) - Roll-over protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts, including the use of seat belts while operating mobile equipment.

2. The accident occurred because the operator inadvertently struck ground with the front-end loader bucket causing the front-end loader to come to an abrupt stop.

   Corrective action: Mine management reinstructed miners on the provisions of 30 CFR § 56.9101 including providing new instruction on not removing extraneous material from front-end loader buckets when the machine is in motion.

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

Activity at time of incident

Front-End Loader

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck against stationary object

Source of injury

RBR,GLS,PLSTC,FIBRGLS,FAB

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

37 years

Experience at this mine

37 years

Experience in this job

37 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY