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UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION

Surface Nonmetal Mill
(Crushed Limestone)

Fatal Powered Haulage Accident

December 17, 2001

Lopke Quarries, Inc. (ASI)
Apalachin, Tioga County, New York

at

Barren County Quarry
Scotty's Contracting & Stone LLC
Cave City, Barren County, Kentucky
Mine I.D. No. 15-06863

Accident Investigators

Chares E. McDaniel
Mine Safety and Health Inspector

Larry R. Nichols
Supervisory Mine Safety and Health Inspector

Originating Office
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Southeast District
135 Gemini Circle, Suite 212; Birmingham, AL 35209
Martin Rosta, District Manager



OVERVIEW


Robert K. Sigmon, maintenance man, age 60, was fatally injured on December 17, 2001, when he was pinned between his service truck and a generator trailer. Apparently, Sigmon tried to re-enter the vehicle as it rolled and was pinned as the truck struck the generator trailer.

The accident occurred because the park brake on the service truck had not been fully applied. There were no established procedures for parking service trucks on down grades.

Sigmon had a total of 17 years mining experience, five years of experience with the contractor and two years, eight weeks experience at the mine. He had received training in accordance with 30 CFR Part 46.

GENERAL INFORMATION


The victim was employed by Lopke Quarries, Inc., a contractor located in Apalachin, Tioga County, New York. The contractor had entered into an agreement with Scotty's Contracting & Stone LLC to perform all crushing, sizing and stockpiling at this location. The principal operating official was Gary McCraw, plant supervisor. The contractor worked an average of 9 hours a day, six days a week. Total employment was eight persons.

Barron County Quarry, a crushed limestone operation, owned and operated by Scotty's Contracting & Stone LLC, was located off State Highway 90, three miles west of Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. The principal operating official was Lanny Lee, superintendent. The mine was normally operated one, 9-hour shift a day, five to six days a week. Total employment was seven persons.

The mine consisted of a multiple bench quarry accessed by decline roadways. Company employees drilled blast holes and maintained the benches and high walls. Contractor employees loaded and transported shot material to the portable crushing plant where it was crushed, sized, screened and then stockpiled. The finished product was sold as aggregate in the construction industry.

The last regular inspection at this operation was completed on March 29, 2001. A regular inspection was conducted following the investigation.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT


On the day of the accident, Robert K. Sigmon (victim), reported for work at 5:45 a.m., his normal starting time. His duties were to assist employees in starting equipment. He traveled to the generator trailer, filled out his time card and went to where the haulage trucks were parked.

After the 6:00 a.m. shift had started, Richard Clark, skid-steer operator, saw Sigmon pull his service truck into the parking area for the generator trailer. At about 6:10 a.m., Gary McCraw, plant supervisor, arrived at the mine site. He went to the generator trailer and saw Sigmon's service truck parked in the area. Thinking that Sigmon was inside the trailer starting the generator, McCraw walked past the service truck, went inside the trailer and yelled to Sigmon. Not getting a reply, McCraw walked back toward the diesel engine. When he passed the engine, he looked out the open trailer doors and saw Sigmon pinned between the generator trailer's bumper and the service truck. McCraw immediately called by radio to the office for an ambulance and assistance from other employees.

The Barren County ambulance/rescue squad arrived at the mine a few minutes after receiving the call. EMTs notified the county coroner and sheriff's department. The coroner pronounced the victim dead at the scene. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be attributed to crushing injuries to the head and neck.

The service truck was found with the engine running, the headlights were on and the park brake had not been fully applied. Sigmon had exited his truck to go to the trailer to start the generator engine, when his service truck apparently started rolling. Sigmon had either been running along side the vehicle to steer it or had tried to re-enter it when the service truck struck the rear of the trailer. Sigmon's right arm was caught between the operator cab and door and he was pinned between his truck and the trailer.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT


MSHA was notified of the accident at 7:15 a.m. on December 17, 2001, by a telephone call from Rick Voyles, operations manager for Lopke Quarries, Inc., to Bill Terry, supervisory mine safety and health inspector. An investigation was started that day. An order was issued under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Act to ensure the safety of miners. MSHA's accident investigators traveled to the mine, made a physical inspection of the accident scene, interviewed employees, and reviewed conditions and work procedures relevant to the accident. MSHA conducted the investigation with the assistance of both mine and contractor management and employees. The miners did not request nor have representation during the investigation.

DISCUSSION


  • The accident occurred at the diesel-powered generator trailer. The parking area along side and in front of the trailer measured 27 feet wide, 63 feet long and was constructed with crushed limestone. The service truck had been parked 25 feet from the trailer on a grade.


  • The generator was in a Fruehauf over-the-road trailer that housed a Caterpillar 12-cylinder diesel engine that powered a Caterpillar Gen Set, model 4312. The Gen Set produced 150 kva, 600 kw and 480 volts. It also housed electrical disconnect boxes for the portable crushing plant along with a crusher control booth.


  • The service truck involved in the accident was a 1999, Ford F-450, 2-wheel drive, equipped with a 7.3 liter power stroke, direct injected turbo diesel engine and six speed manual transmission.


  • The service truck was equipped with a utility bed that contained three vertical and one horizontal tool box on each side. The utility bed protruded 12 inches past the truck's cab on both sides.


  • Service brakes were power disc type to the front and rear wheels. The park brake was cable actuated and was also disc type on both rear wheels. The service and park brakes were tested after the accident. No defects were found.


  • The vehicle was found with the engine running, lights on, transmission in neutral and park brake applied. Before the vehicle was moved to extricate Sigmon, the Deputy County Sheriff marked the position of the brake foot pedal as it was at the time of the accident. The park brake had not been fully applied by Sigmon before he exited the vehicle.


  • The contractor did not have established procedures in place for parking service trucks on grades.


  • It was dark, cold and raining at the time the accident occurred.


  • CONCLUSION


    The root cause of the accident was the failure to establish safe work procedures for parking service vehicles on a grade. The accident occurred because the park brake was not fully applied, nor were other measures taken to prevent the truck from rolling.

    VIOLATIONS


    Lopke Quarries, Inc.

    Order No. 6103999 was issued on December 17, 2001, under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act:
    A fatal accident occurred at this operation on December 17, 2001, when a maintenance employee was pinned between a service truck and a generator trailer. The victim had parked his service truck after setting the park brake. When he got out of the truck to start the diesel engine on the generator, the park brake failed to hold the truck. The truck rolled forward pinning the employee between the truck and trailer. This order is issued to assure the safety of persons at this operation until the mine or affected areas can be returned to normal operations as determined by an authorized representative of the Secretary. The mine operator shall obtain approval from an authorized representative of the Secretary for all actions to recover equipment, and/or return affected areas of the mine to normal.
    This order was terminated on December 19, 2001. Conditions that contributed to the accident have been corrected and normal mining operations can resume.

    Citation No. 7778773 was issued on December 17, 2001, under the provisions of 104(a) of the Mine Act for violation of 30 CFR 56.14207.
    A fatal accident occurred at this operation on December 17, 2001, when a maintenance employee was pinned between a generator trailer and the service truck that he had been operating. The vehicle had been parked on a slight grade with the engine running and the manual transmission in neutral. The park brake had been applied but not to the extent that it prevented the vehicle from moving. The wheels were neither chocked nor turned into a bank.
    This citation was terminated on January 9, 2002. Employees have been instructed on the safe parking procedures for unattended mobile equipment. Chocks were provided and used.

    Related Fatal Alert Bulletin:
    Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon FAB01M30


    APPENDIX A


    Persons Participating in the Investigation

    Scotty's Contracting & Stone LLC
    Lanny Lee ............. superintendent
    Lopke Quarries, Inc.
    Rick Voyles ............. operations manager
    Gary H. McCraw ............. plant supervisor
    Wesley F. Ball ............. crusher operator
    Richard L. Clark ............. skid-steer operator
    Virgle D. Ball ............. maintenance man
    Lucian L. Turner ............. loader operator
    Richard C. Billings ............. truck driver
    Todd A. Jessie ............. truck driver
    Barren County Sheriff Department
    Greg Kinslow ............. deputy
    Barren County Coroner Office
    Michael T. Swift ............. coroner
    Mine Safety and Health Administration
    Charles E. McDaniel ............. mine safety and health inspector
    Larry R. Nichols ............. supervisory mine safety and health inspector
    APPENDIX B


    Persons interviewed during the investigation

    Lopke Quarries, Inc.
    Gary H. McCraw ............. plant supervisor
    Wesley F. Ball ............. crusher operator
    Richard L. Clark ............. skid-steer operator
    Virgle D. Ball ............. maintenance man
    Lucian L. Turner ............. loader operator
    Richard C. Billings ............. truck driver
    Todd A. Jessie ............. truck driver
    Barren County Sheriff Department
    Greg Kinslow ............. deputy
    Barren County Coroner Office
    Michael T. Swift ............. coroner