The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a fatalgram after an accident involving a bulldozer.
According to the fatalgram, the incident took place on July 25 at a Reading Anthracite mining site near the New St.Nicholas Breaker in Cass Township, Pennsylvania.
A 28-year-old bulldozer operator with one year and nine months of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface facility.
The victim was operating a bulldozer, pushing material off of a refuse bank before the accident occurred. He was found lying in the bulldozer’s push path at the top of an incline near the edge of the refuse bank. The bulldozer had run over the victim and continued over the edge of the incline, coming to rest at the bottom of the embankment.
The MSHA has the following advice to help avoid such accidents.
Best practice:
Ensure that persons are trained, including task-training, to understand the hazards associated with the work being performed
Maintain control of mobile equipment while it is in motion
Maintain equipment braking systems in good repair and adjustment Conduct proper maintenance on safety related systems
Before leaving a bulldozer unattended, operators should follow manufacturer recommended operating procedures to ensure that the equipment is secured from movement. This could include disengaging the transmission, setting the parking brake, and lowering the bulldozer blade to the ground before dismounting the equipment
Do not depend on hydraulic systems to hold mobile equipment stationary
Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and use methods to properly protect persons
Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing a task.
