On August 30, 2003 a mobile equipment operator was injured while working at a surface coal mine. The miner was operating a Hitachi hydraulic shovel when a 35-foot wide by 35-foot high section of the highwall toppled onto the operator’s cab, pinning him inside. The victim was removed from the shovel and transported to a hospital where he was treated and released. The left image, below, shows the inside of the operator’s cab after the accident. The front of the operator’s cab is completely missing and the roof is caved in over the operator’s seat.
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When you read the below, it is a success story for two people. We don’t always hear these. If you have these stories, let’s share them with each other and if we have people who take the extra step to protect human lives, let’s recognize them also, not for taking chances, but for working safely and protecting human life. On July 14, 2004, District 1 experienced a non injury accident at the Girardville Coal Company, Continental Strip, Columbia County, PA 17935, Mine I.D. Number 36-08590. A Caterpillar dozer Model D10N was pushing spoil material in order to maintain the bench height for the working range of the Caterpillar 5130 Excavator when the dozer became stuck on rocks and was unable to backup the 30degree grade. The operator of the excavator observed the dozer’s problem and backed away from the area where he was digging, then dispatched another dozer to assist the D10N. The excavator operator, using his own initiative, trammed the excavator back into the face of the spoil and placed a pile of material at the base of the high wall under the dozer. The D10N tipped and went over the 35 foot high wall, rolling 180 degrees, landing on the dozer’s ROPS protection, on the pile of material placed by the excavator. The dozer operator was wearing his seat belt, as a result of the seat belt and the material piled, he received no injuries. The dozer operator exited the overturned dozer uninjured. The D10N Dozer operator had 23 years mining experience as an equipment operator (6 months at this mine). The excavator operator had 6 years mining experience (all at this mine) (2years as excavator operator). The excavator operator's quick thinking and action contributed greatly to the bulldozer operator not receiving any injuries in fall of the dozer. The bulldozer operator should also be commended for keeping his composure by not exiting the equipment and his use of the equipment’s seat belt.
Two mechanics, traveling in separate trucks went to the dragline to trouble shoot a problem with the dragline. This required them to drive around the front of the dragline beneath the boom fairleads and along the edge of the spoil embankment. Because of the dragline’s location near the embankment edge, the dragline operator had to swing the dragline slowly while the trucks traveled between the walking shoes as they rotated along the edge of the embankment. The mechanics parked adjacent to the bulldozer outside the radius of the walking shoes. At lunch time, the mechanics left the dragline and returned to their trucks intending to travel back to the shop for lunch and to get parts. The first mechanic contacted the dragline operator and requested clearance to pull in front of the dragline. The operator swung the dragline toward the truck to allow the mechanic to pull the truck into the space between the walking shoes. The mechanic and operator communicated over the radio as the dragline started to swing the opposite direction to let the truck cross underneath the boom. Unknown to the dragline operator, the second mechanic had pulled his truck in behind the first truck. As the dragline began to swing, the left hand walking shoe contacted the second truck, causing it to flip on the driver’s side, underneath the dragline operator’s compartment. The momentum of the dragline pushed the truck over the embankment and then it rolled to the bottom of the embankment. It came to rest upright. The mechanic was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed with muscle spasms of the lower back and acute impact trauma to his internal organs.
Brian, These photos were taken in Colorado. What happened is the truck was improperly loaded at the quarry (the left side was much heavier than the right side.) When the truck got to the jobsite and tilted the bed up, the extra weight on the left side caused the supports to bend and the bed fell over. Eric Watts Safety Manager Vanguard Contractors
Hi Bryan, These two incidents occurred in two separate coal mines in central XXXXXXXX just over 12 months ago. The first of the two is the result of when people do not park in designated parking areas. This incident occurred at night when the driver of the Toyota Troop Carrier parked in an area nearby to where a Cat. D11 Dozer was operating. Leaving the vehicle for a few minutes, the driver returned to find that the D11 had reversed over it. Fortunately no one was in the vehicle at the time. Another D11, another incident. This was an unpredictable event. The operator was pushing safety rills over a high wall in preparation for a new blast pattern when the bench fractured behind the dozer. (You can see just to the right of the dozer the fracture in the bench). The driver was fortunate in two instances: 1. he was wearing his seatbelt preventing him from being thrown through the windshield, and 2. the highwall failure only slumped a small way. (I have been lead to believe that there was still another 30+ meters of vertical drop from the blade of the dozer to the pit floor). I suppose he was even more fortunate in the fact that the emergency response team is one of the best in XXXXXXXXX. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I'm not too fussed on credit as these were passed on to me by a colleague. I just happened to be consulting there at the time in a separate department. Still, we can all learn something from these things. Regards |
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