Mining Fatalities

MNM Fatality – 7/9/20

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On July 9, 2020, a mine superintendent was electrocuted while attempting to reverse the polarity of a 4,160 VAC circuit by switching the leads inside an energized 4,160 VAC enclosure that contained a vacuum circuit breaker and disconnect.

Best Practices: 

  • Follow these steps before performing electrical work inside a high voltage enclosure:
    1. Locate the high voltage visual disconnect away from the enclosure that supplies incoming electrical power to the enclosure.
    2. Open the visual disconnect to provide visual evidence that the incoming power cable(s) or conductors have been de-energized.
    3. Lock-out and tag-out the visual disconnect yourself. Never rely on others to do this for you.
    4. Ground the de-energized conductors.
  • Verify circuits are de-energized using properly rated electrical meters and non-contact voltage testers.
  • Ensure properly qualified miners perform all work on high voltage equipment.
  • Wear properly rated and well maintained personal protective equipment, including arc flash protection such as a hood, gloves, shirt and pants.
  • Train miners on safe work practices for high voltage electrical equipment and circuits.

Additional Information: 

This is the 11th fatality reported in 2020, and the first classified as “electrical.”

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

MNM Fatality – 6/19/20

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On June 19, 2020, a miner died while inspecting a stockpile for oversized material. As the victim walked along the toe of the stockpile, a portion of the stockpile collapsed, covering him with approximately four feet of material.

Best Practices: 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Task train everyone to recognize potential hazardous conditions that can decrease bank or slope stability and ensure they understand safe job procedures for eliminating hazards.
  • Stay clear of potentially unstable areas. Barricade the toe area to prevent access where hazards have not been corrected.
  • Oversteepened slopes may be flattened from the top of the stockpile by using a bulldozer to gradually cut down the slope.

Additional Information: 

This is the 10th fatality reported in 2020, and the first classified as “Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind.”

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

MNM Fatality – 6/13/20

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On June 13, 2020, a dragline was found submerged in 25 feet of water where a miner had been using it to remove material from a pond. Divers attempted to locate the dragline operator, and after two days the dragline was extricated from the pond. The victim was recovered from the engine compartment behind the operator’s cab.

Best Practices: 

  • Maintain control of operating mobile equipment.
  • Keep all exits clear in cabs, including alternate and emergency exits, and make sure the doors open freely before beginning work.
  • Retrofit older models of equipment with current automatic braking systems.
  • Ensure all controls and brakes are set to the appropriate position for the task.

Additional Information: 

This is the ninth fatality reported in 2020, and the second classified as “Machinery”

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

MNM Fatality – 6/1/20

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On June 1, 2020, a contract truck driver died after falling from the top of his trailer.  The victim received first aid/CPR at the scene and passed away after being transported to a local hospital.

Best Practices: 

  • Discuss work procedures; identify all potential hazards to do the job safely.
  • Train everyone to recognize fall hazards and ensure that safe work procedures are discussed and established.
  • Include safe truck tarping requirements in site-specific hazard training.
  • Provide truck tarping safe access facilities where needed.
  • Provide an effective fall arrest secure anchorage system. Ensure that people wear and attach fall protection connecting devices where there is a danger of falling.
  • Use automatic tarp deploying systems to prevent people from working from heights.

Additional Information: 

This is the 8th fatality reported in 2020, and the third classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”

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

MNM Fatality – 5/2/20

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On May 2, 2020, a miner entered a dredged sand and gravel bin through a lower access hatch to clear an obstruction. The miner was clearing the blockage with a bar when the material inside the bin fell and engulfed him.

Best Practices: 

  1. Lock-out, tag-out. Never enter a bin until the supply and discharge equipment is locked out.
  2. Train miners to recognize and safely remove all potential hazards before beginning work and when clearing blocked hoppers.
  3. Equip bins with mechanical devices such as vibrating shakers or air cannons to loosen blockages, or provide other effective means of handling material so miners are not exposed to entrapment hazards by falling or sliding material.
  4. Follow manufacturer recommendations for clearing out blockages.
  5. Establish and discuss policies and procedures for safely clearing bins.
  6. Install a heavy screen (grizzly) to control the size of the material and prevent clogging.

Additional Information: 

This is the 7th fatality reported in 2020, and the second classified as “Handling Material.”

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

Coal Fatality – 10/18/19

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A miner was repairing a personnel carrier while standing between a rib and the carrier. A section of the adjacent rib corner, weighing approximately 1,250 pounds, fell on the miner causing severe injuries. The miner died 16 days later.

Best Practices: 

  1. Make roof control plans that contain safety requirements. Rib support may be necessary when the mining height increases, when rock partings are present in the rib, or when encountering deeper cover.
  2. Mine operators must control roof and rib conditions. Plans should include provisions requiring that mine operators recognize adverse or changing roof and rib conditions.
  3. Be aware of potential hazards when working or traveling near mine ribs, especially when geologic conditions could cause rib hazards.
  4. Pay attention to deteriorating roof and rib conditions when working in, or traveling through, older areas of mines.
  5. Avoid areas of close clearance between ribs and equipment.
  6. Train all miners to conduct thorough examinations of the roof, face and ribs where miners will be working and traveling.
  7. Conduct frequent examinations in areas where mine conditions change.
  8. Correct all hazardous conditions before allowing miners to work or travel near them.
  9. Adequately support loose ribs or scale loose rib material from a safe location using a bar of suitable length and design.
  10. Install rib bolts on cycle, with adequate surface coverage, and in a consistent pattern.

This is the 26th fatality reported in 2019, and the third fatality classified as “Fall of Face, Rib, Pillar or Highwall.”

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

MNM Fatality – 1/23/20

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An over-the-road truck driver was found unresponsive near his bulk trailer, where it appears he fell from the top of the trailer. The driver was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery; however, he passed away from his injuries.

Best Practices: 

  1. Provide a means to align bulk trailers under truck racks to assure the ramp is aligned correctly with the trailer’s lids so that miners have safe access. Alignment methods can include painted lines, concrete barriers, cameras and monitors, or sensors to indicate proper positioning.
  2. Wear proper footwear that is clean and in good condition.
  3. Examine work areas and routinely monitor work habits to ensure that workers follow safe work procedures.
  4. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed.

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

MNM Fatality – 8/27/19

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On August 27, 2019 a miner was splitting and sorting rock in a quarry when lightning was observed in the distance. The miner was seeking shelter when he was struck by lightning.

Best Practices: 

  1. Train miners to take action after hearing thunder, seeing lightning, or perceiving any other warning signs of approaching thunderstorms.
  2. Use the established emergency communications system to provide miners with warnings when lightning is in the area.
  3. Identify locations for substantially built safe lightning shelters.
  4. Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder.

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

Changes to Fatality Listings

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For whatever reasons it has become increasingly difficult to continue the traditional listing of fatalities by relating what number it is for the year. Those numbers keep changing as fatalities are added months after they occur. I’ve been managing this site “by the numbers” for 10 years now and the past two have been totally irregular in reporting compared to even those decades previous to even the last ten. I have decided to change the way I list them to merely calling them by Coal or MNM and the date they occurred. Please understand that if they are listed many months after the fact it is more likely due to reporting lapses by MSHA rather than my own. I will continue to do my best to bring accurate and timely announcements with the hope of preventing other injuries and deaths by sharing information widely and quickly.

2019 Fatality #25 / MNM #14

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Francis E. Tatro, a 69-year-old front-end loader operator with over 37 years of total mining experience, died from aspiration pneumonia on January 8, 2020.  Tatro suffered injuries and hospitalization as a result of an accident on July 30, 2019.  Tatro was operating a front-end loader when the front-end loader’s bucket contacted the ground, causing the front-end loader to abruptly stop. The force of the impact resulted in Tatro, who was not wearing a seat belt, striking the front window, which caused serious injury, including paralysis to the arms and legs. 

Best Practices: 

1. Always wear seat belts when operating mobile equipment.
2. Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment.
3. Know the hazards. Be certain anyone operating front-end loaders is aware of safe operating practices and potential hazards.

Click here for: Final Report (pdf).