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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION

Surface Nonmetal Mine
(Limestone)

Fatal Explosives Accident

December 21, 1999

Compass Quarries Inc.
Compass Quarries Inc.
Paradise, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Mine I.D. No. 36-00012

Accident Investigators

Dennis A. Yesko
Supervisory Mine Safety and Health Inspector

Charles J. Weber
Mine Safety and Health Inspector

Thomas E. Lobb
Physical Scientist

Originating Office
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Northeastern District
230 Executive Drive, Suite 2
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania 16066-6415
James R. Petrie, District Manager



OVERVIEW

On December 21, 1999, Lee E. Messner, loader operator, age 32, was fatally injured when he was struck by flyrock while sitting in a pickup truck. Messner and Arthur Miller, production foreman, were in the truck guarding the access roadway leading to the quarry and primary plant during blasting operations.

The accident occurred because the company and the contractor failed to ensure that persons had cleared the blast area or were in a blasting shelter or protected location. The contract blaster had not verified their location prior to initiating the shot, had not informed them of any potential for flyrock, and had only instructed them to clear the primary crusher area.

Messner had a total of 7 years mining experience as an equipment operator, all at this mine. He had not received training in accordance with 30 CFR, Part 48.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Compass Quarries, Inc., a surface crushed stone operation, owned and operated by Compass Quarries, Inc., was located at Paradise, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The principal operating official was A. Ross Myers, president. The mine was normally operated two, 8-10 hour shifts a day, five days a week. Total employment was 22 persons.

Limestone was drilled and blasted from a multiple bench quarry. Broken material was loaded by front-end loaders and transported by truck to the plant where it was crushed, screened, washed, and stockpiled. The finished product was sold as construction aggregate.

Hall Explosives, Incorporated, was located at Hershey, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The principal operating official was Daniel R. Leach, president. Hall Explosives, Inc., was the general explosives contractor, performing blasting operations at Compass Quarries, Inc. Three persons employed by this contractor were working at this quarry at the time of the accident.

The last regular inspection of this operation was completed on November 8, 1999. Another inspection was conducted following this investigation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT

On the day of the accident, Lee Messner (victim) reported for work at 6:00 a.m., his normal starting time. Arthur Miller, production foreman, assigned Messner his duties for the day. Messner operated the primary crusher section of the plant until about 10:30 a.m., when Ronald Frye, contractor blaster with Hall Explosives, asked Miller to clear the primary crusher area in preparation for initiating a blast.

Messner left the primary crusher booth and accompanied Miller in his pickup to the main access roadway between the primary crusher and secondary plant. Miller normally positioned his truck in this area during blasting operations so he could guard the access road leading to the quarry and primary crusher, and observe the field south of the blast site for trespassers.

When the shot was detonated, a baseball size piece of flyrock came through the truck's front windshield striking Messner, who was sitting in the passenger's seat. Messner remained conscious after the accident and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he underwent surgery. Messner died later that evening as a result of his injuries.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT

MSHA was notified at approximately 11:45 a.m., on the day of the accident by a telephone call from James Bolinger, quarry superintendent to Charles McNeal, Wyomissing Pennsylvania field office supervisor. The injuries were reported to be non-life threatening. An MSHA inspector was immediately dispatched to the scene to investigate the accident.

On Dec. 22, 1999, about 8:00 a.m., MSHA was notified by a phone call from Ronald Witt, safety manager at Compass Quarries, Inc., to James R. Petrie, MSHA, Northeastern district manager that Messner had died at approximately 9:00 p.m. on December 21, 1999, from the injuries sustained earlier that day. An order was issued under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act to ensure the safety of the miners until the affected area could be returned to normal operations.

The accident investigation team was dispatched following Witt's call and arrived at the mine on the morning of December 23, 1999. The investigation was conducted with the assistance of mine personnel and personnel with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Mine employees were represented by a miner's representative but he did not participate in the investigation.

DISCUSSION

The accident occurred on a roadway adjacent to the surge pile located in the primary plant area. The roadway was approximately 40-50 feet wide, and intersected the haul road from the pit to the primary crusher dump. The accident site was approximately 180 feet away from the west quarry wall, and approximately 800 feet from the blast holes located on the third production bench, one level above the quarry floor.
Mine management instructed Hall Explosives on their mining needs. Hall Explosives then laid out the shot and determined the blast pattern and angle of the holes. Drilling of the blast holes was subcontracted to Myers Drilling.
The highwall face in this area was approximately 50 feet high and the drilling depth ranged between 49 and 54 feet.
Records showed that 9,595 pounds of explosives were used in this blast and the stemming varied from 9 to 36 feet.
The blast pattern consisted of 22 blastholes, drilled on a 16 X 16 foot pattern.
The following conditions indicated an increased potential for flyrock.
Drilling and blasting records revealed that several of the blastholes were drilled at angles up to 25 degrees from vertical toward the highwall face. Angle holes were utilized to compensate for irregularities in the highwall face.

Drill records indicated that two blastholes were broken and contained voids and two other blastholes were broken with one venting air out of the face.

The estimated amount of explosives placed into each blasthole was calculated by weighing the explosives truck prior to and after loading the shot. The weight difference was then divided by the total number of blastholes. This calculation would not show the actual amount of explosives loaded in each blasthole and could result in overloading due to voids.

> The bottom of blasthole number one (the blashole closest to the victim) was drilled 4 to 6 feet further out from the vertical plane of the highwall face than any of the other blastholes in this pattern.

At least one of the blastholes ‘blew-out' causing a massive amount of flyrock.
Flyrock peppered the west highwall.
Flyrock damaged a building approximately 1,500 feet west of this blast.
Flyrock had struck buildings at the secondary crushing plant approximately 3 years ago from a prior shot in another area of the quarry. A seismograph was in place approximately 950 feet from the blast at Hess Mills, Vintage Road.
Seismic records from this blast indicated a PPV (peak partial velocity) of 0.39 inches per second and a PK Air O/P (peak air over pressure) of 125 dBs
These records showed two periods of relatively extreme air blast.
It was a standard practice of the company to guard the access road leading from the primary crusher to the secondary plant and shop area at the location where the accident occurred.

When the certified blaster asked Miller to clear persons from the primary crusher area he did not explain to Miller how far away from the blast site they needed to be.

The blaster failed to ensure the safe location of all personnel prior to initiating the shot, he called on the radio and asked if there were clear without confirming their exact location.

CONCLUSION

The root cause of the accident was the failure of the company and contractor to ensure that persons had cleared the blast area or that persons were in a blasting shelter or protected location prior to initiating the shot. The blaster's failure to clearly delineate the blast area to the mine operator and the employees was a contributing factor.

ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Compass Quarries, Inc.

Order No. 7708007 was issued on December 22, 1999, under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act:
A fatal accident occurred at this operation at about 10:45 a.m. on December 21, 1999, when a loader operator was hit by flyrock that came through the front windshield of the pick-up truck he was sitting in. He had been sitting on the passenger side of the truck and was guarding the entry to the blast site. This order is issued to assure the safety of persons at the operation until the mine or affected areas can be returned to normal operations. The mine operator shall obtain approval from an authorized representative of the Secretary for all actions in affected areas.
This order was terminated on December 23, 1999. Conditions that contributed to the accident no longer exist and normal mining operations can resume. Citation No. 7708009 was issued January 24, 2000, under the provisions of Section 104(d)(1) of the Mine Act for violation of 30 CFR 56.6306(e).
A fatal accident occurred at this operation on December 21, 1999, when an equipment operator was struck by flyrock from a shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck guarding the access to a blast site. The plant production foreman, who was sitting in the driver's seat at the time of the accident, had parked the truck facing the shot, approximately 700 to 800 feet from the blast site. The mine operator failed to clear the blast area or ensure that all personnel were in a blasting shelter or other protected location prior to initiating the blast.

Hall Explosives, Inc.

Citation No. 7708010 was issued January 24, 2000, under the provisions of Section 104(d)(1) of the Mine Act for violation of 30 CFR 56.6306(e).
A fatal accident occurred at this operation on December 21, 1999, when an equipment operator was struck by flyrock from a shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck guarding the access to a blast site. The contract blaster in charge did not clearly delineate the blast area, or ensure that it was clear or that persons were in a blasting shelter or a protected location prior to initiating the blast. The blaster was aware that there were blast holes which could create flyrock. Failure to clear the blast area or ensure that all personnel were in a blasting shelter or other protected location prior to initiating the blast showed a serious lack of reasonable care which constitutes more than ordinary negligence and is an unwarrantable failure to comply with a mandatory standard.

Approved by,                                                                                              Date: April 17, 2000

James R. Petrie
District Manager


Related Fatal Alert Bulletin:
Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon FAB99M53


APPENDICES


A. Persons Participating in the Investigation.

B. Persons Interviewed.

APPENDIX A

Person participating in the investigation

Compass Quarries, Inc.
Ronald J. Witt, safety coordinator
James D. Bolinger, quarry superintendent
Arthur L. Miller, Jr., production foreman
Hall Explosives, Inc.
Ronald E. Frye, blaster
Adele L. Abrams, attorney, Patton Boggs LLP
Beatrice O'Donnell, attorney, Duane Morris & Heckscher LLP
State of Pennsylvania
Ross Klock, department of environmental protection
Trooper John C. Duby, state police
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Dennis A. Yesko, supervisory mine safety and health inspector
Charles J. Weber, mine safety and health inspector
Bret A. Park, mine safety and health inspector
Thomas E. Lobb, physical scientist
Anne Gwynn, solicitor's office

APPENDIX B

Persons interviewed

Compass Quarries, Inc.
Ronald J. Witt, safety coordinator
Arthur L. Miller, Jr., production foreman
James D. Bolinger, quarry superintendent
Eric J. Page, equipment operator/plant operator
J. Bradley Robinson, plant operator
Edward E. Conover, loader operator
John A. Thompson, Jr., crusher operator (former employee)
Hall Explosives, Inc.
Ronald E. Frye, blaster-in-charge
Jeffery K. Henry, bulk truck driver
Joseph E. Hauer, driver/laborer
Myers Drilling, Inc.
Greg S. Myers, driller