Front-End Loader

EE was operating a loader at our pit. A co-worker was in a dump truck & was there to get loaded with but was having trouble with the air in the truck. The co-worker radioed to EE to go ahead and load another truck. EE returned from loading another truck and crawled underneath the co-worker's truck without telling the co-worker. The truck then rolled back on top of EE.

On January 26, 2022, at approximately 7:45 a.m., Patrick Green, a 53 year-old loader operator with approximately three years of mining experience, died when he was pinned under the wheel of an over-the-road dump truck (dump truck). The driver of the dump truck was unaware that Green had crawled under the dump truck to diagnose a braking system malfunction. The accident occurred because the mine operator: 1) did not ensure the dump truck was blocked against hazardous motion before performing repairs to the braking system, and 2) did not ensure that miners on foot communicated their presence and intended actions when approaching mobile equipment.

1. The mine operator did not ensure the dump truck was blocked against hazardous motion before performing repairs to the braking system.

   Corrective action: The mine operator established a written procedure to turn off equipment and block against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance. The mine operator trained all miners in this procedure and in the use of the blocking materials available at the mine.

2. The mine operator did not ensure that miners on foot communicated their presence and intended actions when approaching mobile equipment.

   Corrective action: The mine operator developed a written procedure that requires miners on foot to communicate their presence and intended actions before approaching mobile equipment. The procedure requires the mobile equipment operator to acknowledge the presence of the miner on foot before the miner approaches. The mine operator trained all miners in this procedure.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Machine Maintenance

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

HIPS (PELVIS/ORGANS/KIDNEYS/BUTTOCKS)

Total mining experience

3 years

Experience at this mine

3 years

Experience in this job

2 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY