A report from the Mine Safety and Health Administration concludes that unenforced policies, lack of communication and ineffective traffic rules were contributing factors in last year’s double-fatality accident at SSR Mining Inc.’s Marigold Mine.
In that accident, a loaded 340-ton haul truck struck a passenger van on October 31 at the surface gold mine near Valmy.
Two mine employees in the van were killed in the accident.
The Elko Daily Free Press reports that MSHA’s root cause analysis states that the van operator did not make radio contact with the mobile equipment operator and parked in the haul truck’s blind spot on the right side toward the front.
MSHA issued the company a citation for a violation of the Code of Regulations regarding traffic control.
Penalty assessments consider factors including history of previous violations, size of the business, any negligence by the operator, gravity of the violation, and the operator’s good faith in trying to correct the violation promptly, according to MSHA’s website.
The penalty amount was not included in the MSHA investigation report.