Coal Mine Safety and Health Report of Investigation Surface Coal Mine Fatal Powered Haulage Accident, February 11, 2011, West States Skanska, Inc. (VH8), Cortez, CO. at Kayenta Mine, Peabody Western Coal Company, Black Mesa, Navajo County, Arizona, MSHA ID No. 02-01195

摘要

On Friday, February 11, 2011, at approximately 2:00 p.m., Roy Lee Black (victim), a 55- year-old serviceman with 30 years mining experience, was killed in a powered haulage accident at the J21 Pit, Ramp 38 area of the Kayenta Mine. The accident occurred as Black was driving a combination fuel/service truck on a two-way haul road between ramps 40 and 38 after servicing equipment around the mine site. Several scrapers were operating on the same haul road as part of a topsoil removal operation. The traffic pattern was two-way, right-hand traffic. A scraper was being driven, traveling in the opposite direction on the haul road and on the wrong side for the right-hand traffic pattern. The scraper and the fuel/service truck collided. Because of a blind intersection, scraper operators drove on the left side (left-hand traffic pattern) of the haul road when entering the haul road. Traffic approaching on the same side of the haul road (right-hand traffic pattern) could not be seen because of a high berm. The road was not marked adequately with signage to ensure that the equipment operators knew which vehicle had the right of way. The operation of the scrapers bowl control lever was not working properly and contributed to the operator not having full control of the vehicle. Intermittently, the control lever would stick and not activate the bowl to lower or raise. Managements lack of proper procedures for contacting the personnel working in that area before entering the area was also a contributory factor.