Traffic Control Guidelines BPC MSHA Training

Traffic Control Guidelines In this fatal mine accident scene you’re looking at the foreman’s red pickup truck. The large truck in the background was the truck that ran over the pickup. The sequence of events began with the foreman driving the pickup truck. He called the haul truck driver and said that he was going to relieve him. The foreman was going to drive the large truck for a while. He pulled up to the large truck, parked at its right front corner, walked around the large truck, and entered the driver's compartment. The regular truck driver went down and had just gotten into the pickup truck when the foreman took off and ran over the pickup that he had just parked. Because he couldn’t see the pickup, he forgot about it. Even the flag on the pickup’s "buggy whip" did not alert the foreman.

Traffic Control Guidelines Purpose: All kinds and sizes of vehicles travel roads at mine operations. These vehicles are operated by drivers who travel the mine roads on a daily basis, very infrequently, or even for the first time.

Traffic Control Guidelines Standards: Coal mines 77.1600 (b) Traffic rules, signals, and warning signs shall be standardized at each mine and posted. Metal/Non-metal 56/57.9100 (a) Rules governing speed, right of way, direction of movement, and the use of headlights to assure appropriate visibility, shall be established and followed at each mine. and 56/57.9100 (b) Signs or signals that warn of hazardous conditions shall be placed at appropriate locations at each mine.

Traffic Control Guidelines Many people travel on and off mine property who don’t work at the mine, such as truck drivers, contractors, and venders. MSHA requires that the mine operator provide a means of controlling the traffic.

Traffic Control Guidelines Signs: The mine operator is responsible for developing, installing, and maintaining signs on haul roads. Signs need to be posted wherever it’s necessary to regulate, warn, direct, or inform traffic on haul roads. Signs can be permanent or portable to meet changing conditions at the mine. Signs need to be placed appropriately placed, maintained and visible. Signs need to be placed with respect to the situation. Signs also need to be clearly visible and legible. When placing signs account should be taken to the time it takes the driver to react to the sign. Signs need to be visible to all equipment operators. Sign size, height, and lateral placement are important to ensure that signs are properly illuminated by vehicle headlights.

Traffic Control Guidelines Haulage Routes Equipment operators/drivers sometime develop a false sense of security by driving the same haul roads every day. This is dangerous because haul roads can change. Traffic Patterns Traffic patterns other than the usual right-hand pattern used on highways are found at some mines.

Traffic Control Guidelines This truck driver cannot see the ground closer than 105 feet out the right side, 16 feet out the left side, and 62 feet out the front. Truck drivers are always operating "in the blind." They see only what is far ahead and continue on, hoping the condition will be the same when they get there. You can imagine the blind areas around some even larger trucks that are 320 or 340 ton capacity. It's over 200 feet away before the driver can see the ground.

Traffic Control Guidelines Haulage Safety Procedures To help prevent accidents, operators/drivers need to follow all haulage safety signs and procedures in force at the mine. Characteristics of the Vehicle Operators/drivers need to be familiar with the characteristics of the vehicle they are operating such as visibility, blind spots, and braking limitations.

Traffic Control Guidelines Here is a view from the driver’s seat of a 240-ton haul truck. The black pickup truck is parked about 68 feet away. If it was approximately 6 feet closer, the driver probably would not see it.

Traffic Control Guidelines Report Unsafe Conditions Poorly placed signs Confusing signs Overcrowded signs Missing signs Signs that are out of date (a sign posted for a condition that does not exist).

Traffic Control Guidelines This is the scene of a nonfatal accident that occurred when the back left wheel of a front-end loader ran over this car. Tragically, the man driving the car was the father of the man operating the front-end loader. He survived, but it took 3½ hours to cut him out of the car.

Traffic Control Guidelines Another view of the same incident:

Traffic Control Guidelines Here’s another view of the same accident scene. They had to drag the car out from underneath the loader.

Traffic Control Guidelines In this fatal accident a service truck (larger than a pickup) was run over by a large haul truck. The man in the service truck was killed. This truck also caught fire after the haul truck ran over it.