Near miss safety spotlight: Averting disaster in saturated soils

Courtesy Photo | Excavator sits atop a soil stockpile after going into a struated soils zone.  

VERSHIRE, VERMONT, UNITED STATES

05.18.2026

Story by AnnMarie Harvie 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District

ELY COPPER MINE SUPERFUND SITE, Vt.— In the demanding environment of environmental remediation and heavy construction, near misses serve as critical warning signs. On the early morning of May 12, an equipment operator's adherence to safety protocols and timely communication turned a potentially dangerous sliding incident into a valuable learning opportunity for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District and its site partners.

The event unfolded as an equipment operator was loading an off-road haul truck using a John Deere 350 excavator. After successfully loading the truck, the operator tracked forward to reset his position on the soil stockpile. As the machinery moved forward, one of the excavator's tracks entered a zone of highly unstable, saturated soil near a slope. The heavy equipment immediately began to slip and slide. Reacting swiftly, the operator drove the excavator’s bucket teeth into the ground to arrest the slide. However, his subsequent attempt to track out of the saturated zone dug the track deeper into the mud, causing the excavator to slide further down the edge. Recognizing the escalating danger and the limitations of the ground conditions, the operator wisely ceased all attempts to move the machine and immediately called his foreman to report the situation. Fortunately, the incident resulted in zero injuries and no property damage. A critical factor in this positive outcome was the operator’s strict adherence to fundamental safety standards: he was wearing his required Personal Protective Equipment and had his seat belt securely fastened at the time of the slide.

“Our expectation across the New England District is that every employee and contractor has both the authority and responsibility to stop work when conditions become unsafe, said Lt. Col. David MacPhail, New England District’s deputy district engineer. “Reporting near misses is essential to mission success because it allows us to identify hazards, share lessons learned, and strengthen protections for the entire workforce.” Site safety officials identified two primary root causes for the near miss, unstable ground and aggravating maneuvers. To ensure the incident remains isolated, site leadership took immediate and decisive action. A sitewide safety stand-down was held immediately following the near miss to discuss the event with all personnel. To prevent future occurrences, the following corrective actions were implemented:

• Ground Assessment Training:The crew was retrained on the vital importance of assessing ground conditions before tracking heavy equipment into unfamiliar areas.
• Mandatory Reconnaissance:Equipment operators and foremen are now required to physically recon and evaluate all soil surfaces prior to moving machinery onto them.
• AHA Review:All equipment operators have been directed to re-read the Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA) relevant to their current tasks.

“This incident reinforces a simple but critical principle: no schedule, task, or project goal is more important than the safety of our people,” said MacPhail. “The operator’s decision to stop operations and report the hazard immediately prevented a potentially serious accident and provided valuable lessons for the entire team.” Near misses are invaluable tools for preventing future, more severe mishaps. This incident highlights a crucial lesson for all equipment operators: when a situation cannot be safely corrected, halting operations and contacting leadership is exactly the right call. The operator’s decision to stop, combined with his unwavering use of PPE and a seat belt, undoubtedly prevented a serious accident.

• Date Taken: 05.18.2026
• Date Posted: 05.26.2026 15:13
• Story ID: 566137
• Location: VERSHIRE, VERMONT, US