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Jump to Overview DEPARTMENT OF LABOR MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health REPORT OF INVESTIGATION Surface Metal Mine (Copper) Fatal Fall of Person Accident October 11, 2007 Washington Group International, Inc. Contractor I.D. No. D50 at Pinto Valley Operations BHP Copper Inc. Miami, Gila County, Arizona Mine I.D. No. 02-01049 Investigator Steve I. Pilling Supervisory Mine Safety and Health Inspector Originating Office Mine Safety and Health Administration Rocky Mountain District Denver Federal Center 6th & Kipling 2nd Street, Bldg. 25, E-16 Denver, CO 80225 Richard R. Laufenberg, District Manager OVERVIEW
On October 11, 2007, Elmer L. Randolph, water truck driver, age 66, was fatally injured when he fell from the water truck he was assigned to operate. Randolph had stopped to wash the windows on the truck. There was no conclusive evidence to determine the cause of the accident. Although there were no witnesses, the victim's injuries were consistent with a fall from an elevated location. The victim was either standing on the truck's deck or ascending or descending the truck's ladder when he fell to the ground. GENERAL INFORMATION
Pinto Valley Operations, a surface copper operation, owned and operated by BHP Copper Inc., was located in Miami, Gila County, Arizona. The principal operating official was Michael M. Eamon, general manager. The mine normally operated two 12-hour shifts per day, seven days a week. Total employment was 280 persons. Washington Group International, Inc., located in Boise, Idaho, was a contractor working for BHP Copper Inc. The principal operating official was William V. Orr, project manager. The contractor normally operated two 12 hour shifts per day, seven days a week. Total employment was 76 persons. Washington Group International, Inc., was contracted to drill, blast, and transport copper ore to the crusher. The ore was then crushed and sent to the mill or to the leaching area. The processed copper was sold for commercial use. The last regular inspection of this operation was completed on May 10, 2007. DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
On October 11, 2007, Elmer L. Randolph, (victim), reported to work at 5:45 a.m., his normal starting time. Randolph attended a safety meeting and then conducted a pre-shift examination of the water truck he was assigned to operate. He drove the truck to the water filling station, filled the tank, then watered the roadways in the pit. At 11:30 a.m., Rhonda L. Taylor, water truck driver, talked to Randolph at the water filling station about changes in the traffic patterns and parking. Randolph filled his truck tank and went to the atmospheric tank area where he parked it. Brandon A. Walker, oiler, was traveling from the pit to the shop. As he drove through the atmospheric tank area, Walker saw Randolph get out of the cab of the truck with a bottle of window cleaner and paper towels in his hand. James Salazar, heavy equipment operator, drove to the atmospheric tank area about 11:50 a.m., and noticed Randolph lying on the ground in front of the water truck. Salazar drove to the back of the water truck, parked his vehicle, and radioed for emergency medical assistance. Hugh Lawrence, manager of health, safety and environment, and Garry W. Wilson, emergency medical technician, arrived and performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Randolph was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead by the attending physician. Death was attributed to blunt force trauma. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was notified of the accident at 12:10 p.m., on October 11, 2007, by a telephone call from Henry Lopez, safety coordinator, to the National Call Center. The message was forwarded to Michael Dennehy, acting district manager. An investigation was started the same day. An order was issued under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act to ensure the safety of the miners. MSHA's accident investigators traveled to the mine, made a physical inspection of the accident scene, interviewed employees, reviewed conditions and work procedures relevant to the accident. MSHA conducted the investigation with the assistance of mine management, contractor management and employees, and the State of Arizona Mine Inspectors. DISCUSSION
Location of the Accident The accident occurred in a parking area at the atmospheric tank area, north of the shop. The water truck was parked on about a 4 percent incline. The victim was found on dry ground in front of a ladder that provided access to the cab of the water truck. Water Truck The vehicle involved at the accident was a Caterpillar, Model 777D haul truck converted into a water truck. The capacity of the water tank was 10,000 gallons. A ladder was positioned to the left of the truck allowing persons to access the deck to the right or left side of the cab. The deck was 10 feet above the ground. The ladder was 8 feet 6 inches and the first step was 18 inches above the ground. The opening at the top of the ladder and deck measured 2 feet 5 inches. The truck was equipped with service brakes, park brake, retarder brake and a secondary braking system. The braking systems were tested and no defects were found. The steering and hydraulic systems were inspected and no defects were found. Cleaning Material A round plastic quart bottle was found near the victim's left side. It had a spray nozzle and was half full of a liquid window cleaner. Paper towels were also found near the victim. Window Cleaning When a water truck was filled with water, a film routinely developed on the truck's windows impairing visibility. As a practice, drivers would stop and wash the windows after filling the trucks with water. The windows on the victim's truck were clean indicating that they had been recently washed. Training and Experience Elmer L. Randolph had 7 weeks and 4 days experience at this mine as a water truck driver and had received training in accordance with 30 CFR, Part 48. He had previously been employed for 22 years as an over-the-road commercial truck driver and also had 8 years experience as a front-end loader operator. Weather The weather on the day of the accident was mostly clear with a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit and calm winds. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
A root cause analysis was conducted. There was no conclusive evidence to determine the cause of the accident. CONCLUSION
There was no conclusive evidence to determine the cause of the accident. Although there were no witnesses, the victim's injuries were consistent with a fall from an elevated location. The victim was either standing on the truck's deck or ascending or descending the truck's ladder when he fell to the ground. ENFORCEMENT ACTION
BHP Copper Inc. Order No. 6320657 was issued on October 11, 2007, under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act:
Related Fatal Alert Bulletin: APPENDIX A
Persons Participating in the Investigation BHP Copper Inc.
Michael M. Eamon ............... general manager Kenneth W. Pickering ............... vice president of projects Carleton P. Peltz ............... safety coordinator Arthur J. Fernandez ............... mine manager
William V. Orr ............... project manager Bradley D. Giles ............... corporate vice president Rick Callor ............... corporate safety training director Joel C. Atchison ............... environmental health and safety director
Wes Cruea ............... assistant state mine inspector
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