An Analysis of Serious Injuries to Dozer Operators in the U.S. Mining Industry

by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

From 1988 to 1997, surface mine workers sustained nearly 80,000 serious injuries, including 619 fatalities. Off-highway mobile equipment was involved in about 20% of these injuries and 42% of the fatalities [Turin et al. 2001]. Bulldozers are a common type of earthmoving equipment. Dozers are used extensively in surface mining to do a variety of tasks. These include clearing land, roadway construction, ripping unconsolidated earthen material, construction and maintenance of stockpiles, assisting other equipment via towing or pushing, building and maintaining waste dumps, and pushing material short distances to assist in overburden removal or reclamation work. The versatility of the dozer makes it an indispensable asset at nearly all surface mine operations. The nature of mining requires dozers to work in all types of weather and ground conditions. The variety of conditions and difficulty of many of the tasks adds both challenges and risk. Dozer operators work in conditions that are dynamic with hazards that vary and can be subtle and difficult to recognize. Many of the tasks require high levels of skill in blade control, machine positioning, judgment, and decision-making.

28 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2013