MSHA has issued a Close Call Accident Alert following a vehicle accident at a surface clay mine.
On June 19, 2017, at a surface clay site, a haul truck driver with 6 weeks experience traveled into the pit loading area and waited to be loaded.
The driver stopped the haul truck about 30 feet from where a supervisor parked his van.
The supervisor had been giving instructions to excavator operators in the area, and he returned to his van as the loader operator sounded the horn to notify the driver to move the haul truck into position for loading.
The truck driver drove forward, striking and pushing the supervisor’s van a distance of 30-40 feet.
The supervisor was able to get out of the van through the window, and he had no injuries.
MSHA has the following advise to help prevent such accidents.
Best practice
- Equip smaller vehicles with flags or strobe lights positioned high enough to be seen from the cabs of haulage trucks
- Before moving mobile equipment, be certain no one is in the intended drive path, sound the horn to warn unseen persons, and wait to allow them time to move to a safe location
- Ensure all persons are trained to recognize work place hazards, specifically limited visibility and blind areas inherent to operation of large equipment, and the hazard of passenger vehicles traveling near heavy equipment
- Do not become distracted by using a cell phone to text or call while operating equipment.
