Alaska Mechanical, Incorporated (contractor)
Alaska Gold Company
Nome Operations
Fatal Machinery Accident

MSHA Final Investigation Report  

Overview

Craig Bagley, contract ironworker, age 28, and Tyler Kahle, contract iron worker, age 19, were fatally injured on July 19, 2007, when a manlift they were operating toppled over.  The victims were descending from an elevated location with the boom extended when the unit became unstable and toppled on its side.

The accident occurred because management policies and procedures were inadequate.  The manlift was not positioned on solid, level ground and the center hydraulic lift cylinder was being utilized improperly.  Task training for persons operating the manlift was incomplete and did not address the load management system provided on the unit.

Description

On the day of the accident, Tyler Kahle and Craig Bagley (victims) reported for work at 7:00 am, their normal starting time.  They were assigned to install roofing bolts to secure the metal roof of the mill building which was under construction.  Kahle was working on the top portion of the mill roof while Bagley was operating a manlift and installing bolts along the mill roof's edges.

About 6:40 p.m., the end of the work shift, Bagley, positioned the manlift basket at the upper portion of the roof of the mill building where Kahle entered the man basket with Bagley to be transported to the ground.  Bagley rotated the turntable of the manlift toward the southern end of the mill building until the boom and man basket were clear of the mill roof line.  As Bagley maneuvered the boom the manlift began to topple.  The man basket hit the side of the mill building below roof line.  The boom struck the ground.  Both miners were tied off to the basket.  The cause of death was attributed to blunt force trauma.