MSHA issues alert on personnel carriers

Arlington, VA — Alarmed by recent deaths involving miners operating personnel carriers, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert calling for proper training and operational procedures.

MSHA has recorded seven of these deaths since 2018. The alert spotlights two of the incidents; in both, the miner lost control of the vehicle and was pinned underneath.

Agency best practices for personnel carrier operations include:

• Maintain steering and braking components.
• Conduct adequate pre-operational inspections of mobile equipment, correcting any defects impacting safety before operating equipment.
• Tag out and remove equipment from service when uncorrectable defects are found.
• Maintain roadways free of debris, excessive water, mud and other conditions that affect the equipment operator’s ability to control equipment.
• Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the type of equipment, roadway conditions, grades, clearances and visibility.
• Task train miners on personnel carrier safety.