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November 23, 2020 Fatality - Fatality Alert

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Accident Report: Fatality Reference

PDF Version

MINE FATALITY – On Nov. 23, 2020, a miner was fatally injured when the battery-powered scoop he was operating ran over a section of pipe in the roadway. The four-inch plastic pipe entered the operator’s compartment and struck him.

Accident scene

Best Practices

  • Conduct thorough examinations of roadways and remove material that could pose a hazard to equipment operators, passengers, or other miners.
  • Keep roadways free of excessive water, mud, and other conditions that reduce an equipment operator’s ability to control mobile equipment.
  • Secure loads on haulage vehicles to prevent them from falling off into roadways.
  • Install substantial guarding to prevent material from entering the operator compartment.
  • Establish safe operating procedures for mobile equipment and a maintenance schedule for roadways.

Additional Information

This is the 25th fatality reported in 2020, and the seventh classified as “Powered Haulage.”