The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a fatality alert after a shuttle car operator was struck by a second shuttle car.
The MSHA says this is the sixth fatality of 2021 classified as powered haulage (Credit - MSHA)
The MSHA says the victim was in the operator’s compartment of his shuttle car, travelling through the last open crosscut, when the second vehicle travelled through a ventilation curtain.
The corner of the second shuttle car entered the operator’s deck of the victim’s car. The operator was injured and passed away from the injuries on 21 February.
This is the tenth fatality reported in 2021, and the sixth classified as 'powered haulage', the administration adds.
Best Practices:
- Install and maintain proximity detection systems on mobile section equipment.
- Communicate your presence and intended movements. Wait until miners acknowledge your message before moving your equipment.
- Do not tram equipment through ventilation curtains. Tram only through fly pads in designated haulage routes.
- Use clear curtains for fly pads and ventilation controls on working sections.
- Stop and Sound an audible warning device before tramming equipment through fly pads. Ensure directional lights are on when operating mobile equipment.
- Avoid areas where equipment operators cannot readily see you.
- Wear personal strobe light devices to increase visibility.
