Why Do Haul Truck Fatal Accidents Keep Occurring?

Area of Science:

• Mining Safety Engineering
• Accident Analysis
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Powered haulage accounts for 50% of annual mining fatalities.
• Haul-truck-related incidents are the most frequent type of fatal accident in mining.
• Previous research indicates a persistent safety concern in mining operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the causes and contributing factors of haul-truck-related fatal accidents in the USA.
• To identify hazards and evaluate preventative and mitigative controls for these accidents.
• To provide recommendations for improving safety in mining operations.

Main Methods:

• Review of 91 haul-truck-related fatal accidents in the USA (2005-2018).
• Bow-tie analyses were performed using Mine Safety and Health Administration final reports.
• Examination of accident context, initiating events, outcomes, hazards, and controls.

Main Results:

• Most accidents involved haul trucks colliding with the environment.
• Loss of situational awareness or loss of control initiated the majority of events.
• Identified hazards were predominantly linked to design and organizational controls.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to investigate operator decision-making and organizational factors.
• Improving mine design and operational procedures is crucial for prevention.
• Enhanced design and operational controls can mitigate haul-truck accident risks.