Bulldozer Operator

The mine slope collapsed trapping our miner in his machine. The recovery effort was not successful and the employee expired at the mine site.

On June 30, 2015, Charles E. Pace, equipment operator, age 65, was killed while operating a front-end loader at the base of a sand bank. Pace was trapped in the operator’s cab when a portion of the bank collapsed and engulfed the front-end loader. The accident occurred due to mine management’s failure to utilize previously established mining methods to maintain wall, bank, and slope stability in the area. The victim was extracting material from the base of a 128 feet high bank that was not sloped to a safe angle. In addition, management failed to adequately examine the mining area prior to commencing work and periodically throughout the shift as changing ground conditions warranted.

1. Management failed to utilize previously established mining methods to maintain wall, bank, and slope stability in the area. The mine operator had used bulldozers in the past to push the bank material down to a flatter slope; however, this mining practice had not been employed during this phase of mining. The victim was extracting material from the base of a 128 feet high bank that was not sloped to a safe angle.

   Corrective action: Management established and implemented new policies and procedures to reclaim the existing phase 4 excavation (accident area). In addition, new policies and procedures were made to address future excavations at the mine. These new policies and procedures utilize bulldozers to push material down the slope toward the face of the excavation while maintaining a uniform slope gradient of 2.5:1 to 3:1. Future excavations will have a minimum working width of 300 feet, sloped on all three sides. The slope gradients will be monitored on a daily basis. Material pushed down the slope will be windrowed or stockpiled and will be loaded and transported to the screening plant. All mobile equipment operators were trained in these new policies and procedures.

2. Management failed to adequately examine the mining area prior to commencing work and periodically throughout the shift as changing ground conditions warranted.

   Corrective action: Management established and implemented an examination plan for the mining area and designated an exam coordinator, responsible for ensuring adequate examinations and monitoring slope gradients. Examinations of the face of the slope and side slopes will be conducted each day prior to the start of excavation and as weather conditions dictate, particularly during and after precipitation events. The slope surfaces will be evaluated for bulging, cuts, seepage, and cracking. Any adverse conditions found will be corrected prior to the commencement of mining in the area. Mining will also cease at any time during the shift when adverse conditions are encountered until they can be evaluated and addressed. All mobile equipment operators were trained by the exam coordinator in the new examination plan relative to identifying adverse ground conditions, changing slope conditions, and remedial actions.

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

Caught in, under or between collapsing material or buildings

Source of injury

SAND,GRAVEL,SHELL

Nature of injury

SUFFOC,SMOK INHILAT,DROWN

Body part affected

BODY SYSTEMS

Total mining experience

19 years

Experience at this mine

11 years

Experience in this job

19 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY