Mining Fatalities

MNM Fatality – 2/29/20

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On February 29, 2020, a plant foreman was priming the main suction pump on a dredge when a two-inch coupling on the waterjet pipe failed, knocking the victim into the water. Divers retrieved his body several hours later. The victim was not wearing a life preserver.

Best Practices: 

  • Wear a life preserver where there is a risk of falling into the water.
  • Identify all possible hazards and ensure appropriate controls are in place to protect miners before beginning work.
  • Provide swimming training for everyone that works around water.

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

Coal Fatality – 2/10/20 – Rescinded

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On February 10, 2020, a mine examiner was operating a personnel carrier down a mine intake slope. Evidence indicates that the personnel carrier struck the left rib while traveling down the intake slope. The mine examiner was found unresponsive near the bottom of the slope, lying beside the personnel carrier.

Best Practices: 

  • Maintain control and stay alert. Be aware and stay in control when operating mobile equipment. Install mechanical devices that limit the maximum speed of the equipment.
  • Operate mobile equipment safely. Operate equipment at speeds that are consistent with the type of equipment, roadway conditions, grades, clearances, and visibility.
  • Test brakes, steering, and other safety devices. Correct safety defects before operating mobile equipment. Test mobile equipment before it is operated and before going up or down steep slopes.
  • Always wear seat belts.
  • Properly train miners. Ensure each operator of mobile equipment receives proper task training.
  • Remove unneeded materials. Keep personnel carriers free of unneeded materials.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

Rescission Date:  August 5, 2020
MSHA’s Chargeability Review Committee reviewed the death certificate, autopsy report, medical information, and MSHA’s accident investigation findings and determined that the miner died from natural causes.  The  fatality is not chargeable to the mine operator.

2019 Fatality #11 / MNM #7

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Image from Merck Manual

On July 15, 2019, a plant manager stumbled on a drill bench resulting in a compound heel fracture. While undergoing preoperative procedures for his injured heel on July 19, 2019, he became unresponsive and passed away the following day.

Best Practices: 

  • Identify and address hazards. Always be aware of your surroundings and any hazards that may be present. Establish and discuss safe work procedures.
  • Conduct workplace examinations and risk assessments to identify and correct hazards before working on any task. Examine work areas for hazards
  • Provide sufficient illumination in all work areas.
  • Train all miners, especially workplace examiners, to recognize and understand safe job procedures. Communicate and correct hazards in a timely manner.
  • Prevent slips and trips. Clear the area of tripping and stumbling hazards. Maintain traction by ensuring walkways and footwear are free of potential slipping hazards such as dirt, oil, and grease.
  • Stay focused on your work for your safety and the safety of your fellow workers.

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

2019 Fatality #24 / Coal #11

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On December 23, 2019, a miner was fatally injured while attempting to remove a splice pin from a 72-inch mainline conveyor belt splice.  A belt clamp and racket-style chain come along failed, releasing stored energy and causing the belt to shift upward and pin the miner against the frame of the belt tailpiece.

Best Practices: 

  • Identify, isolate, and control stored energy: mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and gravitational. Relieve belt tension by releasing the energy at the take-up/belt storage system.
  • Check your environment. Always be aware of an object in your work location that could move if stored energy is released.
  • Check your equipment. Ensure belt clamps and other blocking equipment are substantial and properly rated for preventing conveyor belt movement.
  • Securely install, anchor, inspect, and test blocking equipment to ensure that it is able to prevent movement.
  • Conduct complete and thorough examinations from safe locations to identify hazards and items needing maintenance or repair.
  • Ensure miners are trained on safe work procedures. Develop step-by-step procedures and review them with all miners before they perform non-routine maintenance tasks such as adding or removing conveyor belt.
  • Properly block belts to secure components against motion.
  • De-energize electrical power and lock and tag the visual disconnect before beginning a belt splice.
  • Never use the start and stop controls (belt switches). This switch does not disconnect the power conductors.
  • Lock out and tag out disconnecting devices. Only the person who installed them can remove the lock and tag, and only after completing the work.
  • Talk to your coworkers. After the splice has been completed and before removing your lock and tag, ensure everyone is clear of the conveyor belt and communicate to others that you will be restarting the belt.

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

MNM Fatality – 1/8/20

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A miner fell into a portable load out bin on January 8, 2020, and died at the scene.

Best Practices: 

  1. Check handrails and gates. Ensure handrails and gates are substantially constructed, properly secured, and free of defects.
  2. Install mechanical flow-enhancing devices so workers do not have to enter a bin to start or maintain material flow.
  3. Don’t stand on material stored in bins. Material stored in a bin can bridge over the hopper outlet, creating a hidden void below the material surface.
  4. Lock-out, tag-out. Do not enter a bin until the supply and discharge equipment is locked out.
  5. Wear a safety belt or harness secured with a lanyard to an adequate anchor point before entering a bin. Station a second person near the anchor point to make sure there’s no slack in the fall protection system.
  6. Train all miners to recognize fall hazards and properly use fall protection.
  7. Provide safe access to all work places, and discuss and establish safe work procedures.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), News Story (web), Obituary (web), Final Report (pdf).

2019 Fatality #23 / MNM #13

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A contract maintenance mechanic was performing elevator maintenance when the car descended, crushing the mechanic against an elevator platform. The person died at the scene on December 3, 2019.

Best Practices: 

  1. De-energize, lock out and tag out, and block machinery or equipment that can injure miners – before entering the area.
  2. Post warning signs or barricades to keep miners out of areas where health or safety hazards exist.
  3. Install an audible alarm to warn of impending equipment movement.
  4. Evaluate and correct possible hazards promptly before working.
  5. Train personnel in safely using handrails and fall protection equipment during maintenance and construction activities. Ensure their use.

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

2019 Fatality #22 / MNM #12

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While spotting for a dump truck, a contractor stepped directly into the path of a bulldozer and died at the scene on November 16, 2019.

Best Practices: 

  1. Safety first. Before starting work, establish and discuss safe work procedures. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work and properly protect workers.
  2. Know where people are. Be aware of body positioning around equipment, traffic patterns, dump sites, and haul roads.
  3. Train miners and contractors on traffic controls, mobile equipment patterns, and other site-specific hazards.
  4. Stay alert. Do not place yourself in harm’s way.
  5. Communicate with mobile equipment operators and ensure they acknowledge your presence.
  6. Ensure travelways are clear before moving a vehicle or mobile equipment.
  7. Look behind you. Install “rear viewing” cameras or other collision warning systems on mobile equipment. When backing up, look over your shoulder to eliminate blind spots. When using mirrors, use all available mirrors.
  8. Wear reflective material while working around mobile equipment. Use flags, visible to equipment operators, to make miners and smaller vehicles more visible.

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

2019 Fatality #21 / MNM #11

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A mobile maintenance mechanic was driving on the pit haulage road when the service truck he was operating left the road, hit a berm, and flipped onto its side, ejecting the miner. The miner died at the scene on November 5, 2019.

Best Practices: 

  1. Always wear seat belts when operating mobile equipment.
  2. Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment.
  3. Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any safety defects before operating mobile equipment.

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

Fatality #17 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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[Note: The Fatality Alert for this first appeared 10/16/19. As noted below the incident didn’t become a fatality until the victim died on 6/27/19.]

On June 15, 2018, a miner fell from a man basket when the weldment securing the basket to the shovel failed. The miner died of his injuries on June 27, 2019.

Best Practices

  • Check for damage. Routinely examine metal structures for signs of weakness (corrosion, fatigue cracks, bent/buckling beams, braces or columns, damaged/loose/missing connectors, broken welds, etc.).
  • Replace cracked equipment fast. Small cracks in equipment can quickly grow into a complete fracture. Take cracked mechanical components out of service immediately.
  • Know the limits. Consult with the manufacturer to determine the service/fatigue life of mechanical systems or parts.

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

2019 Fatality #19 / Coal #9

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On September 5, 2019, a continuous mining machine helper was fatally injured when he was struck by a battery-powered scoop. The victim was in the #3 entry behind a wing curtain that provided ventilation to the #3 right crosscut being mined. The scoop was trammed through the #3 left crosscut and struck the victim as it made a right-hand turn and passed through the wing curtain.

Best Practices: 

  • Install and maintain proximity detection systems on mobile section equipment.
  • Before operating mobile equipment, inform miners of your travel route – especially if changes are being made. Proceed with caution and watch for miners on foot.
  • STOP and SOUND an audible warning device before tramming equipment through ventilation curtains.
  • STAY ALERT around mobile section equipment. Communicate your presence and intended movements to equipment operators.
  • Use transparent curtains for ventilation controls on working sections.
  • Be aware that noise can cause moving equipment to not be heard.

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