1
24-057
Lessons Learned From Near-Miss Events: Use of the Critical
Decision Method to Identify Strategies to Improve Haul Truck
Safety in Mining
Cassandra L. Hoebbel
Jennica L. Bellanca
Jonathan K. Hrica
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
DISCLAIMER
The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the official posi-
tion of the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mention of any company name or product does not consti-
tute endorsement by NIOSH.
ABSTRACT
Accidents involving powered haulage and mobile equip-
ment such as haul trucks often account for the great-
est number of fatalities in the mining industry each year.
Despite previous analyses that have identified root causes
and other contributing factors, there is still a need to bet-
ter understand the events leading up to these types of acci-
dents, what lessons may be learned, and what strategies
can be employed to prevent fatal accidents from occurring.
This study examines Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM)
using the critical decision method (CDM). The CDM is
a retrospective interview approach used to explore time-
limited, high-stakes, decision-making. In this study the
CDM is used to obtain more information about what hap-
pens prior to, during, and after a potentially fatal situation
such as a near-miss event, loss of control, or minor accident
involving equipment damage. Researchers captured first-
hand accounts from 21 haul truck operators involved in
near-miss events from mine sites of various sizes and com-
modities throughout the United States. These accounts
provide rich and detailed narratives from the perspective
of haul truck operators themselves and reveal insights into
what decisions haul truck operators make, what sensory
cues they perceive, and what strategies they employ during
challenging and non-routine situations. Decision-related
themes that emerged from the data are presented and dis-
cussed. These results, along with potential solutions offered
by study participants, can help to inform future research,
raise awareness about hidden hazards, and build more cre-
ative interventions and realistic training scenarios for use by
the industry to address haul truck safety issues.
INTRODUCTION
Accidents involving powered haulage and mobile equip-
ment continue to be one of the most significant safety
concerns for mine workers in the United States and often
account for more than 50 percent of the fatal injuries at sur-
face mines each year [1]. These accidents typically involve
equipment such as front-end loaders, skid-steers, service
trucks, and haul trucks [2, 3]. Given the persistence and
24-057
Lessons Learned From Near-Miss Events: Use of the Critical
Decision Method to Identify Strategies to Improve Haul Truck
Safety in Mining
Cassandra L. Hoebbel
Jennica L. Bellanca
Jonathan K. Hrica
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
DISCLAIMER
The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the official posi-
tion of the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mention of any company name or product does not consti-
tute endorsement by NIOSH.
ABSTRACT
Accidents involving powered haulage and mobile equip-
ment such as haul trucks often account for the great-
est number of fatalities in the mining industry each year.
Despite previous analyses that have identified root causes
and other contributing factors, there is still a need to bet-
ter understand the events leading up to these types of acci-
dents, what lessons may be learned, and what strategies
can be employed to prevent fatal accidents from occurring.
This study examines Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM)
using the critical decision method (CDM). The CDM is
a retrospective interview approach used to explore time-
limited, high-stakes, decision-making. In this study the
CDM is used to obtain more information about what hap-
pens prior to, during, and after a potentially fatal situation
such as a near-miss event, loss of control, or minor accident
involving equipment damage. Researchers captured first-
hand accounts from 21 haul truck operators involved in
near-miss events from mine sites of various sizes and com-
modities throughout the United States. These accounts
provide rich and detailed narratives from the perspective
of haul truck operators themselves and reveal insights into
what decisions haul truck operators make, what sensory
cues they perceive, and what strategies they employ during
challenging and non-routine situations. Decision-related
themes that emerged from the data are presented and dis-
cussed. These results, along with potential solutions offered
by study participants, can help to inform future research,
raise awareness about hidden hazards, and build more cre-
ative interventions and realistic training scenarios for use by
the industry to address haul truck safety issues.
INTRODUCTION
Accidents involving powered haulage and mobile equip-
ment continue to be one of the most significant safety
concerns for mine workers in the United States and often
account for more than 50 percent of the fatal injuries at sur-
face mines each year [1]. These accidents typically involve
equipment such as front-end loaders, skid-steers, service
trucks, and haul trucks [2, 3]. Given the persistence and