OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14305627
SILVER BAY LOGGING, INC.
JUNEAU, AK·
Event description
Employees die when covered by mud avalanche
Investigation abstract
At approximately 5:30 p.m. on May 20, 1989, three off-duty logging employees (in at swiftly moved down the V notch drainage. The three off-duty employees started running downhill through standing timber, but the avalanche uprooted 30 in. dia meter trees and buried Employees #1 and #2. The body of Employee #1 was removed on May 20, 1989; the body of Employee #2 was not found for several days. cluding Employees #1 and #2) arrived at a rock quarry to film the quarry blast s cheduled for about 7:00 p.m. They filmed the loading operation and then position ed themselves approximately 1,200 feet downhill where they could film the blast. They set the camera up near some big trees, which they could use for protection from possible flyrock. The 1,200 ft clearcut slope above them averaged 55 to 60 percent grade with several small benches with 20 to 25 percent grade. A small V notch drainage with running water extended from the quarry to their location. T he blast was set off at approximately 7:00 p.m. and triggered a mud avalanche th
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 32 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- DIRT/SAND/STONE (12)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- SQUEEZE POINT ACTION (4)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#2 Fatality Age 42 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- DIRT/SAND/STONE (12)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- SQUEEZE POINT ACTION (4)
- Task assigned
- Task not regularly assigned (2)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.