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METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On November 9, 1998, a 51-year old utility man with 18 months of mining experience was fatally injured at a crushed stone operation. The victim was backing a loaded truck to the outer edge of a stockpile, preparatory to dumping. Material had been loaded out from the base of the stockpile. The pile collapsed and the truck overturned. The victim was not wearing a seat belt.

Best Practices

  • Dumping locations should be visually inspected, and where there is evidence the ground may fail to support the equipment, loads should be dumped at least one truck length back from the edge.
  • The access ramp to stockpiles should be blocked once the load-out of material has begun.
  • Equipment operators should always wear seat belts.
  • This is the 47th fatality reported in calendar year 1998 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 1997, there were 57 fatalities reported in these industries. This is the 20th fatality classified as Powered Haulage in 1998. There were 22 Powered Haulage fatalities in the same period in 1997. (Please note the 1997 final fatality count was changed from 60 to 61 after the close of the calendar year.)

    For more information:
    Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report