Abstract: ON JULY 14, 1991, EMPLOYEE #1 SUSTAINED MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS, LIGAMENT TEARS, DISLOCATIONS, AND TWO PUNCTURE WOUNDS AS WELL AS MANY SMALL CUTS AND BRUISES WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF THE CATERPILLAR 980C FRONT END LOADER HE WAS OPERATING AND IT ROLLED OFF A ROAD AND DOWN A HILL. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD BEEN TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVES TO A DRILL SITE, BUT HAD FINISHED THE JOB AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS NORMAL WORK SITE AT THE MAIN QUARRY PROCESSING AREA. TO RETURN, HE HAD TO BACK DOWN A NARROW ROAD, DOWN A DECLINE, AND INTO A TURNAROUND SPOT, FROM WHICH POINT HE WAS TO PROCEED FORWARD DOWN THE ROAD. HE BACKED INTO THE TURNAROUND SPOT, THEN LOST CONTROL. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW CONTROL WAS LOST. EMPLOYEE #1 MAINTAINS THAT THE TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, FROM REVERSE TO NEUTRAL. A RIDER ON THE LOADER STATED THAT IT WAS KNOCKED INTO NEUTRAL. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE ON THIS TYPE OF LOADER AND WHAT EXPERIENCE HE HAD WAS LIMITED TO FLAT, SMOOTH GROUND. THE LOADER WAS NEW AS OF NOVEMBER 10, 1989, AND THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ITS OPERATION BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT.