“Huffing” is the deliberate inhalation of volatile substances because of their intoxicating effect.
Water truck driver Jason Kawcak, 25, was driving a Volvo A35C at Colowyo Coal’s Colowyo surface complex in Meeker, Moffat County, last July 14 when he lost control of the vehicle while ascending a 9.6% grade.
He received blunt force trauma injuries after being ejected and run over by the truck, which had traveled backwards after the victim lost control.
There were no witnesses to the accident.
MSHA accident investigators said in the report that they believed Kawcak shut off the truck, because the “engine stop” was pulled when rescuers reached the truck.
Moreover, investigators found that the truck was not running when it overturned; the truck lost power after being shut off.
“After losing power, Kawcak's water truck traveled backwards and downhill for six-tenths of a mile, until the water truck contacted the berm along the east side of Ridge Road,” MSHA said.
“Eighty-one feet after initial contact with the berm, the water truck struck a large rock, causing (it) to deviate (from) its path by five feet. The water truck continued downhill, with the left side tires on top of the berm for 66 additional feet, until the truck dropped off the berm.
“Dropping off the berm caused Kawcak to be ejected from the water truck and run over with the right front tire … The water truck continued downhill for another 300 feet, until it struck the west side slope, causing the truck to roll over and come to rest.”
Kawcak, who had 31 weeks of mining experience, was not wearing a seatbelt.
An autopsy of the miner revealed the presence of the chemical 1,1-Diflouroethane as a result of “intentional inhalation”, according to the toxicology report.
Investigators found the only source of the chemical present in the cab of the victim's water truck was a can of Compucessory Power Duster, or canned air. Vapors from the chemical, according to warning documentation, can cause dizziness or suffocation and users are urged to avoid breathing mists or aerosols of the product.
An evaluation found no punctures or holes in the can which could have caused accidental inhalation, but noted further that the chemical would have remained close to the floor of the cab as its weight is heavier than air.
MSHA concluded that there were four contributory items that resulted in the miner’s death: “he was not trained in emergency shutdown procedures for this piece of equipment; he did not maintain control of the water truck; a toxicology report for the victim indicated presence of the chemical 1,1 Diflouroethane, which likely impaired him; and the victim was not wearing his seatbelt.”
To rectify the root causes of the incident, MSHA ordered the operator to develop specific task training modules for all mobile equipment used at the mine and train all mobile equipment operators and mechanics on operating procedures, including emergency operating and stop procedures.
The mine also reinforced the safety program policy to all miners concerning the mandatory use of seatbelts in all mobile equipment operated at the minesite, and reviewed policies with mobile equipment operators to ensure all processes for safe equipment operation were followed.
Because miners at the complex were allowed to obtain hazardous chemicals from the warehouse without being provided training on the hazards of the chemicals, workers were given specific training on the hazards of chemicals such as 1,1-Diflouroethane which can, if inhaled, cause light-headedness, dizziness, unconsciousness and death.
Colowyo was given four citations.
The Colowyo mine, owned and operated by Western Fuels subsidiary Colowyo Coal, had last received a regular inspection on February 21, 2012.
The mine’s non-fatal days lost injury incidence rate through the second quarter of 2012 was 1.57. The national rate for surface mines for the same time period was 1.08.
