Mining Fatalities

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).

Electro-Hydraulic Lifts Alert

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Damaged or defective welds on aerial lifts have caused several fatalities in the mining industry.

  1. A mechanic died while being lowered in an electro-hydraulic aerial lift. A weld splice fractured on a recently repaired arm of the lift, causing the arm to strike the victim in the head (Figure 1). The weld failed because of poor weld quality from an improper repair.
  2. A welder died while being lowered in an electro-hydraulic aerial lift when the lift arm catastrophically fractured at a critical weld connecting the arm support to its lift cylinder (Figure 2). Undetected cracks existed in the weld and the surrounding metal prior to failure.

Best Practices to Prevent the Mechanical Failure of Welded Connections
Prevent accidents by following proper welding procedures and performing regular inspections for damages or defects.

  • Only qualified welders should perform all welding.
  • Determine the service/fatigue life of mechanical systems or parts by consulting with the manufacturer.Inspect welds following installation and repairs, and periodically during service life.Train users in the proper operation of lifts – including not exceeding their design capacity.
  • Routinely examine metal components for signs of weakness, corrosion, fatigue cracks, bends, buckling, deflection, missing connectors, etc.
  • Use nondestructive test methods to detect cracks that may be indistinguishable to the eye.
  • Take cracked mechanical components out of service immediately. Small cracks can quickly grow and lead to catastrophic fracture.

Download a pdf of the alert Here.

MNM Fatality – 2/27/20

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On February 27, 2020, a miner died when an unsecured 20’x8’x1″ steel plate standing on edge fell and struck him. The steel plate was being used to cover the end of a feeder to allow an equipment operator to build an earthen ramp to the feeder.

Best Practices: 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work.
  • Identify and control all hazards.
  • Task train everyone on safe job procedures and to stay clear of suspended loads.
  • Require all workers to stay out of the fall path of heavy objects/materials that have the potential of becoming off-balance while in a raised position.
  • Monitor routinely to confirm safe work procedures are followed.
  • Be aware of your environment. Factors such as wind, snow, and icy surfaces can affect the stability of an object.
  • When securing an object, identify the location of its center of gravity.

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

Coal Fatality – 2/27/20

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On February 27, 2020, a trucking company employee died while helping to position a low-boy trailer.  The victim was standing in front of the trailer wheels to assist the driver.  The truck driver moved the truck forward causing the wheels of the trailer to strike the victim.

Best Practices: 

  • Communicate your planned movements with the equipment operator before approaching mobile equipment and verify the information was received and understood.
  • Verify miners are clear before driving mobile equipment. Communicate your planned movements with miners and verify the information was received and understood.
  • Sound your horn to warn miners that you are about to move and wait to give them time to get to a safe location.
  • Establish policies and procedures for miners to stand in safe locations when directing mobile equipment.
  • Inspect backup alarms and collision warning/avoidance systems on mobile equipment to ensure they are maintained and operational.
  • Wear high visibility clothing when working around mobile equipment.

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