Mining Fatalities

Coal Fatality – 12/4/21

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On December 4, 2021, a miner was performing maintenance duties on a continuous mining machine (CMM) when the raised CMM tail boom lowered, resulting in fatal crushing injuries to the miner.

Best Practices: 

  • Before performing maintenance and repair work:
    • De-energize the power source.
    • Open the visual disconnect.
    • Lock and tag the visual disconnect.
    • Securely block equipment against hazardous motion in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Provide sufficient space around equipment to perform work safely.
  • Develop and implement procedures to complete tasks safely.
  • Train all miners to perform their assigned tasks safely.
  • Operators should implement procedures to address hazards that cause injury.

Additional Information: 

This is the 34th fatality reported in 2021, and the sixth classified as “Machinery.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 11/17/21

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On November 17, 2021, an 18 year-old* customer truck driver with no mining experience* was electrocuted after the tarping mechanism on the trailer contacted a high-voltage overhead power line at a mine with 10 employees*.  While exiting the cab of the truck, the victim contacted the energized truck and received a nonfatal electrical shock.  When he tried to reenter the cab of the truck, he was electrocuted.

Best Practices: 

  • Construct roadways to provide adequate width and clearance between mobile equipment and energized high-voltage power lines, as required by the National Electrical Safety Code.  Evaluate clearances periodically to account for changing physical and environmental conditions.
  • Provide and maintain a safe location for truck drivers to tarp their loads.
  • Check for overhead hazards when raising and lowering truck beds and tarps.
  • If your vehicle contacts an energized power line:
    • Stay in your vehicle.
    • Immediately call for help on a mobile phone or radio.
    • If staying in the vehicle is unsafe, jump away from the vehicle without contacting the vehicle and the ground at the same time.  Once on the ground, hop away from the power line for at least 40 feet.
  • Post readily visible warning signs or signals when overhead hazards exist.

Additional Information: 

This is the 32nd fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Electrical.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 11/1/21

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On November 1, 2021, an electrician with 25 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a mine with 334 employees* while traveling down a mine slope.  He lost control of a four-passenger rubber-tired personnel carrier, and the vehicle crashed at the bottom of the slope, pinning the victim underneath.

Best Practices: 

  • Immediately remove equipment from service when defects affecting safety are found.
  • Conduct adequate preoperational checks and weekly examinations of mobile electrical equipment.  Correct any defects affecting safety before operating mobile equipment.
  • Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment.
  • Maintain roadways free of excessive water, mud, and other conditions that impact an equipment operator’s ability to control mobile equipment.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, grades, clearance, and visibility.
  • Never rely on Regenerative Braking as a substitute for keeping brakes properly maintained.

Additional Information: 

This is the 31st fatality reported in 2021, and the 12th classified as “Powered Haulage” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 10/20/21

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On October 20, 2021, a 50-year-old mechanic with 12 years of experience was fatally injured at a mine with 10 employees* when he was struck by the bucket of an excavator while assisting in repositioning a hopper.

Best Practices: 

  • Never position yourself between mobile equipment and a stationary object.
  • Do not work in pinch points where inadvertent movement could cause injury.
  • Carefully inspect and secure the pins in an excavator’s bucket before each use.
  • Before beginning work, analyze all tasks, establish safe work procedures, train miners, and eliminate hazards.  Be alert for hazards that may be created while the work is performed.
  • Identify and apply methods to protect personnel from hazards associated with the work performed.
  • Monitor all employees to ensure safe work procedures, including safe work positioning, are followed.

Additional Information: 

This is the 30th fatality reported in 2021, and the 5th classified as “Machinery” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 10/19/21

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On October 19, 2021, a 58-year-old mechanic with 17 years of experience was fatally injured when the articulated haul truck bed collapsed on him while he performed maintenance on the truck on the surface at an underground mine Ohio with 10 employees*.

Best Practices: 

  • Securely block from motion machinery or equipment that has been raised, and properly use mechanical blocking devices.  Ensure that blocking material is competent, substantial, and adequate to support and stabilize the load.
  • Position yourself in a safe location and away from potential “red-zone” areas where you can be injured.  Observe and follow all warning labels and signs on equipment.
  • Never work under a load that is unsupported or inadequately supported, and never depend on hydraulics to support a load.
  • Outfit haul trucks with a dump box lock bar that mechanically blocks the bed from coming down.
  • Develop and follow safe work procedures.
  • Always consult and follow the manufacturer’s recommended safe work procedures for the maintenance task.

Additional Information: 

This is the 29th fatality reported in 2021, and the 3rd classified as “Falling, Rolling or Sliding Rock/Material.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 10/1/21

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On October 1, 2021, a 25-year-old Plant Operator with 4 years and 11 weeks experience* was fatally injured at a mine with 3 employees* when he entered a surge bin used as a feed hopper and was engulfed by material.

Best Practices: 

  • Design surge bins and feed hoppers to prevent blockages.  Equip bins and hoppers with mechanical devices or other effective means of handling material, so miners are not required to enter or work inside bins and hoppers.
  • Provide a safe means of access that allows miners to conduct tasks, such as removing large rocks and other material, safely.
  • Ensure handrails and gates are substantially constructed, properly secured, and free of defects.
  • Don’t stand on material stored in bins.  Material stored in a bin can bridge over the hopper outlet, creating a hidden void beneath the material’s surface.
  • Establish policies and procedures to remove blockages in bins and hoppers safely.  Train and ensure miners follow these policies and procedures.
  • Wear an appropriate safety harness, lanyard, and lifeline, and make sure these are maintained, in good condition, and securely anchored.  Assign another miner to constantly monitor and adjust the lifeline, as needed.

Additional Information: 

This is the 28th fatality reported in 2021, and the third classified as “Handling Material.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 9/14/21

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On September 14, 2021, a 70 year old* individual with no mining experience* was fatally injured at a mine with 3 employees* when an excavated trench collapsed and engulfed him.  The victim was prospecting for gold inside the trench with a metal detector when the trench collapsed.

Best Practices: 

  • Stay clear of potentially unstable areas. Do not enter trenches if the trench walls are not properly supported for the full height or sloped to a safe angle.
  • Do not abandon trenches or excavations without removing the potential of collapse by filling or sloping the walls to a stable angle.
  • Carefully examine ground conditions before performing tasks near excavated embankments, trenches, or ditches.
  • Follow OSHA Trenching and Excavation Safety Guidelines located at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha2226.pdf
  • Train miners about the inherent dangers of trenching work.
  • Keep visitors within sight and sound of a responsible person.

Additional Information: 

The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data only and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality. (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 9/21/21

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On September 21, 2021, a 68-year-old contract truck driver with 20 years of experience was fatally injured while operating a haul truck.  The victim was found lying in front of his truck near the edge of a haul road.  The truck was upright and in the opposite direction of the expected route of travel.

Best Practices: 

  • Establish a site traffic plan to include traffic routes, speed limits, and access points.  Train miners to follow all traffic controls.
  • Conduct pre-operational examinations to identify and repair defects that may affect the safe operation of equipment before placing equipment into service.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with conditions of roadways, grades, curves, and traffic.
  • Maintain control while operating mobile equipment.  Never exceed a vehicle’s design capabilities, operating ranges, load limits, and safety features.
  • Always wear a seat belt when operating mobile equipment.
  • Never exit a moving vehicle.  Remain in the seat with your seat belt secured.

Additional Information: 

This is the 27th fatality reported in 2021, and the twelfth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 9/15/21

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On September 15, 2021, a 33-year-old contract welder with nearly 11 years experience in mining and 7 weeks experience at the task he was performing* was fatally injured at a mine with 3700 employees and 115 contractors* when he crawled 40 feet into a 30-inch-diameter stainless-steel pipe.  The victim was welding a joint from the outside of the pipe, and then entered the pipe to troubleshoot issues related to argon gas leakage.  Coworkers found him unresponsive.

Best Practices: 

  • Remove dangerous working materials and gasses by means of a high volume of fresh airflow before entering confined spaces.
  • Assess risks and hazards before beginning work activities to determine what personal protective equipment (PPE) and atmospheric testing is needed prior to entry and during work execution.
  • Test atmospheres from a safe location with a calibrated gas monitor capable of detecting harmful and noxious gasses before entering and continuously while working in confined spaces.
  • Designate a miner to maintain contact with the miner entering a confined space in the form of visual or voice contact, or signal lines.
  • Ensure miners use the appropriate PPE, including dry, flame-retardant clothing and respiratory protection equipment, such as powered air-purifying respirators.
  • Train miners to identify confined spaces and understand their associated hazards.

Additional Information: 

This is the 26th fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Other.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 8/11/21

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On August 11, 2021, a 53-year-old contract truck driver with ten years’ experience was fatally injured while conducting a pre-operational examination of a truck at a mine in Mill Creek WV with 28 employees and 20 contractors*.  The rear wheels of the vehicle struck the truck driver when the truck rolled forward.

Best Practices: 

  • Block mobile equipment against motion.  Adequately chock wheels or turn wheels into a bank.
  • Use specially designed truck-wheel chocks of the appropriate size and material to hold the vehicle securely.  Do not use lumber, cinder blocks, rocks, or other makeshift items to chock.
  • Never position yourself in hazardous areas around equipment parked on a grade that is not blocked or secured from movement.
  • Maintain the equipment’s braking systems.  Perform repairs and adjustments when necessary and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.  Do not exceed the manufacturer’s load limits.

Additional Information: 

This is the 24th fatality reported in 2021, and the tenth classified as “Powered Haulage.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).