Mine Manager

Operator was up on hill pushing overburden down to excavator for feeding crusher. Operator went down a small incline on Cat Dozer and was thrown from the cab.

On October 17, 2017, Arthur Brand (owner), was fatally injured while descending the top of the North Pit rock bench in a Caterpillar D8H dozer. Brand was ejected from and run over by the dozer which continued to travel across the bench and over the highwall. The accident occurred because the operator had inadequate policies and procedures in place to ensure that equipment operators wear seat belts in order to maintain control of equipment.

1. Inadequate policies and work procedures did not ensure that seat belts were worn when employees operated self-propelled mobile equipment in order to maintain control of moving equipment.

   Corrective action: The mine owner died and the mine closed.

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

Activity at time of incident

Bulldozer

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

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

Source of injury

SURFACE MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

50 years

Experience at this mine

30 years

Experience in this job

20 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY