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Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Accident Info-Gram
FEBRUARY 2003
Over-the-Road Truck Overturns at Stockpile
On February 20, 2003, an over-the-road truck overturned at a surface mine in District 8. The truck's driver was raising the bed to dump his load. With the trailer almost fully extended, the trailer and truck overturned. The trailer became unstable because the load was frozen and failed to discharge. Investigators found that the bed had contained a layer of snow and ice, which was approximately two to four inches in thickness and ran the full length of the bed. The driver suffered minor injuries consisting of a bruised knee and shoulder.
BEST PRACTICES
- Make sure truck beds are free from extraneous materials, such as snow and ice, before loading.
- Use agents to keep materials from freezing in the bed of any haul truck.
- Provide level and compact dumping areas to help stabilize raised truck beds.
- Keep at least a trailer length or more between trucks when dumping side-by-side.
- Position trucks so drivers can see other trucks that are in the dumping area.
- Wear seat belts when operating equipment.
This information was provided by concerned
miners in an effort to eliminate accidents. Accident or "close
call" information within District 8 may be shared by contacting
the MSHA office at (812) 882-7617.
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