According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), on Sept. 16, 2020, a truck driver at a New Jersey sand and gravel operation attempted to adjust the brakes on his tri-axle truck while the engine was running, the automatic transmission was in drive, and the parking brake was not set. The truck moved forward and fatally injured the victim. The fatality marks the 17th of 2020 and is classified as Powered Haulage.
MSHA offers the following best practices to prevent these types of accidents:
- Before exiting, place the transmission in park, set the parking brake, turn off the engine, and activate the hazard warning lights.
- Block equipment against motion and place high visibility cones or other flagging or signage to caution oncoming traffic before working on equipment.
- Maintain equipment braking systems and repair and adjustment as necessary.
- Conduct pre-operational examinations using qualified personnel to identify and repair defects that may affect the safe operation of equipment before it is placed into service.
- Train miners on site-specific hazards.
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