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Mine Safety and Health Administration MSHA's Accident Prevention Program
Miner's Tip

Avoid Dump-Point Hazards

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Mine Type: All Surface
Category: Haulage


In the 1990s, 25 miners died when their trucks went over the edge of a dump point. Many of these accidents occurred at truck-built stockpiles. A common factor in many of these cases was that the truck was dumping above an area where the toe of the pile had been loaded-out. When a stockpile has been loaded out, the material can stand at a steep angle. But, in this condition, the berm may be undercut and the edge of the pile is more prone to giving away under the weight of the truck.

Photo showing overturned truck at bottom of hill


To prevent these accidents, mine operators need to ensure that their stockpiling procedures prevent truck drivers from attempting to dump near the edge of a pile where either the area below the dump point has been loaded-out and over-steepened, or the berm is inadequate, or cracks are present.

  • The best safety approach is to "dump short." That is, dump back from the edge of the pile and push the material over - preferably with a track-dozer. Dumping back one truck-length from the edge is a good rule-of-thumb.

  • Another safe approach is to routinely "block the ramp." When a customer is to be loaded, have the front-end-loader operator use the first bucket or two of material to block the ramp going to the top of the pile. Then keep the ramp blocked until any over-steepened slope conditions have been corrected and an adequate berm has been established around the edge of the pile.
Remember, routinely dumping short and pushing over, or routinely blocking the stockpile access ramp, are two ways to help prevent truck drivers from being exposed to potentially unsafe dump-point conditions. Avoid that dump-point hazard - "dump short", or "block the ramp."

Please Note: MSHA has published a Dump-Point Handbook. PH01-I-6 - Dump Point Safety.

Reissued: 04/30/2002
Tag # AP2002-M026


If you have a tip you would like to pass on, you can e-mail it to zzMSHA-MinersTips@dol.gov. If your Miner's tip is selected, you will receive credit in this space.
 
MSHA Video Clip - Dump-Point Safety Video (VC-858)
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The video cassette, "Dump-Point Safety" (VC-858), is available from MSHA. For information on obtaining this video, please contact contact the Library at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy at (304) 256-3266 or zzMSHA-Library@dol.gov.