On September 28, 2022, a miner died when he was engulfed in a collapsed stockpile. The miner was working close to the toe of the stockpile to remove material off the top of a surge tunnel’s feeder to clear a blockage.
Best Practices:
- Operators should have procedures to safely clear blockages from feeders, and train miners to stay out of areas where there is a danger of falling or sliding material.
- Equip feeders with mechanical clearing devices to prevent exposing miners to hazards of falling or sliding material.
- Make sure miners trim stockpiles to prevent hazards.
Additional Information:
This is the 22nd fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Engulfment.”
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).