Surface

Fatality #8 for Coal 2018

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On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, a 33-year-old auger helper with 3 days of total surface mining experience received fatal injuries during auger mining activities. The victim was attempting to move a section of auger steel by using the onboard crane when he was struck in the chest.
Best Practices: 

  • Maintain equipment in safe operating condition. Excessive pressure in a hydraulic circuit can drastically alter the control of booms, etc., creating serious hazards.
  • Establish policies and procedures for auger mining including, safe work procedures for removing auger steel from the auger tray.
  • Task train miners to recognize all potential hazards and understand safe job procedures before beginning work.
  • Monitor personnel routinely to ensure safe work procedures are being followed. Unauthorized persons should be kept clear of the work area.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that exposes you to hazards. Stand clear of suspended loads having the potential of becoming off-balanced while being moved.

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

Fatality #9 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On August 22, 2018, a 29-year old miner with 1 year of experience was fatally injured while cleaning a snub pulley.  The victim was working from an aerial lift located under the belt conveyor when he became entangled in the conveyor pulley.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that persons assigned to clean conveyor belts have received adequate training and verify that safe belt conveyor work practices are followed.
  • Stay clear of moving equipment and do not reach into any part of a moving conveyor.
  • Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing when working around moving conveyor belt components.
  • Verify that all incoming power connectors are open by a circuit breaker, the conveyor is stopped and secured from movement before working on belt conveyors.
  • Provide and maintain safe access to elevated areas where routine maintenance is performed.

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

Fatality #7 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On July 31, 2018, a 62-year old foreman with 40 years of experience, was fatally injured while dismantling a portable crusher. The front-end loader was placing a 20-foot long steel tube onto the screen feed conveyor. The front-end loader operator lowered the bucket and crushed the victim against the conveyor structure.

Best Practices

  • Front-end loader operators must ensure personnel are not near the machine when in operation.
  • Use cranes with appropriate rigging and tag lines to position components.
  • When working near equipment, make eye contact with the equipment operator and directly communicate your intended movements.
  • Wear a reflective vest or clothing while working.
  • Ensure all persons are trained to recognize workplace hazards – specifically, the limited visibility and blind areas inherent to operation of large equipment.
  • Prior to starting the task, train miners on proper maintenance procedures and discuss steps that will be taken to safely perform the job.

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

Fatality #6 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On June 23, 2018, a 46-year old electrician with 10 weeks of experience was fatally injured while trying to stop runaway railcars.  The miner ran to the front of a set of moving railcars and jumped on in order to set the hand brake.  The miner then attempted to jump clear and was fatally injured when he was run over by the moving railcars.

Best Practices

  • Apply a mechanical hand brake to ensure a railcar does not move when it is stopped for loading, unloading, or storage.  Use wheel chocks or derail devices for added protection against accidental movement.
  • Never attempt to mount, crossover, cross under, or dismount a railcar while it is moving.
  • Train personnel in the safe procedures of working with railcars.  Establish safe work procedures and ensure all personnel involved communicate clearly with each other.

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

Fatality #5 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On June 13, 2018, a 65-year old truck driver with 4 years of experience was fatally injured when his truck traveled over a berm and into an impoundment of water.  Divers recovered the victim in 20 feet of water.

Best Practices

  • Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment. Maintain equipment braking and steering systems in good repair and adjustment.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Ensure that berms are adequate for the vehicles present on site, including but not limited to height, material, and built on firm ground.
  • Consider storing personal flotation devices in equipment that is being operated near water.
  • Ensure that all exits from cabs on mobile equipment, including alternate and emergency exits, are maintained and operable.
  • Use seat belts when operating mobile equipment.

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

Fatality #4 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On May 9, 2018, a 27-year old kiln technician with 32 weeks of experience was burned while lighting a gas fired kiln. There was a blow back when igniting the kiln and the miner received burn injuries to his head and chest.  The miner succumbed to his injuries on May 28, 2018.

Best Practices

  • Remove flammable and combustible materials from areas prior to cutting, welding, or other hot work. A qualified person should monitor nearby areas where heavy vapors could migrate and accumulate.
  • Ventilation systems should be properly designed, installed, and maintained.
  • Install fixed monitoring systems with alarms in areas with potential for flammable and other hazardous atmospheres and calibrate and maintain them regularly.  The systems should have redundant controls and system readouts located inside and outside of hazardous areas.
  • Process equipment and systems should be properly designed and completely installed prior to use.
  • Inerting systems should be properly designed, installed, adequately filled, and maintained.
  • Do not work in areas where concentrations of vapors can be immediately fatal (Lower Explosive Limit), Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health, or where they exceed permissible exposure limits (PELs) to produce adverse health effects.
  • Minimize or eliminate hazards by using appropriate engineering and administrative controls.

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

Fatality #3 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On April 12, 2018, a 60-year old customer truck driver was killed when he fell from, and was run over by, his truck while scanning into the operator’s check-in system.  The victim was found underneath the belly dump of the semi-trailer, and the truck was still in gear.

Best Practices

  • Implement check-in system technology that can be scanned remotely from inside the vehicle such as a RFID tag or indicator.
  • Commercial and customer truck drivers should remain in their trucks while on mine property, unless a safe area for tarping and checking their loads has been designated.
  • Operators should place their equipment in neutral and set the parking brakes before exiting the operator compartment.
  • Rules establishing safe operating procedures should be posted.
  • Ensure workers who operate heavy equipment are adequately informed, instructed, trained and supervised.

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

Fatality #2 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On March 14, 2018, a 56-year old crusher maintenance employee with 15 years of mining experience sustained a fatal injury to his head while installing discharge chutes on the screen deck.  The suspended chute shifted striking him.

Best Practices

  • Stay clear of a suspended load.
  • Follow proper rigging procedures when lifting loads.
  • Establish safe work procedures and identify and remove hazards before beginning repair or maintenance tasks. Follow the equipment manufacturer’s procedures for the work being performed to ensure that all hazards have been addressed.
  • Use welded lifting eyes that are specifically intended for lifting and adequately rated for the loads being lifted.
  • Carefully inspect all rigging prior to each use.
  • Train persons to recognize and control all hazards associated with performing repair or maintenance tasks.
  • Persons should communicate during maintenance tasks with each other.
  • Position yourself only in areas where you will not be exposed to hazards resulting from a sudden release of energy.
  • Attach taglines to loads that may require steadying or guidance while suspended. Stand clear of items of massive weights having the potential of becoming off-balanced while being loaded or unloaded
  • Assign a sufficient number of persons to repair or maintenance tasks to ensure the tasks can be safely performed.
  • Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing repair or maintenance tasks.
  • Miners should wear fall protection when working at elevated heights.

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

Fatality #2 for Coal 2018

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On Wednesday, February 21, 2018, a 38-year-old highwall mining machine operator, with 21 years of total mining experience, was electrocuted when he contacted an energized connection of a 7,200 volt electrical circuit.  The victim was found inside a transformer station troubleshooting and/or performing electrical work on the electrical system that supplies power to the mining machine.

Best Practices: 
  • Lock-Out and Tag-Out the electrical circuit yourself and NEVER rely on others to do this for you.
  • Follow these steps BEFORE entering an electrical enclosure or performing electrical work:
    1. Locate the circuit breaker or load break switch away from the enclosure and open it to de-energize the incoming power cable(s) or conductors.
    2. Locate the visual disconnect away from the enclosure and open it 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.
    4. Ground the de-energized conductors.
  • Wear properly rated and well maintained electrical gloves when troubleshooting or testing energized circuits.  After the electrical problem has been found, follow the proper steps before performing electrical work
  • Use properly rated electrical meters and non-contact voltage testers to ensure electrical circuits have been de-energized.
  • Install warning labels on line side terminals of circuit breakers and switches stating that the terminal lugs remain energized when the circuit breaker or switch is open.
  • ​Electrical work must be performed by a qualified electrician or someone trained to do electrical work under the direct supervision of a qualified electrician.

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

Fatality #1 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On January 25, 2018, a 38-year old equipment operator with 4 years of mining experience was killed when his articulated haul truck travelled through a berm and into an ice covered pond, submerging the truck’s cab.  Rescuers utilized divers and tow trucks to pull the submerged truck from the pond and recover the victim.

Best Practices

  • Do not operate heavy equipment when fatigued. The effects of fatigue include tiredness, reduced energy, and physical or mental exhaustion. These conditions become progressively worse as fatigue increases.
  • Maintain control and stay alert when operating mobile equipment. Monitor persons routinely to determine safe work procedures are followed.
  • Conduct adequate pre-operational checks and correct any defects affecting safety in a timely manner prior to operating mobile equipment.  Maintain equipment braking and steering systems in good repair and adjustment.
  • Operate mobile equipment at speeds consistent with the conditions of roadways, tracks, grades, clearance, visibility, curves, and traffic.
  • Ensure that berms are adequate for the vehicles present on site, including but not limited to height, material, and built on firm ground.
  • Ensure that all exits from cabs on mobile equipment, including alternate and emergency exits, are maintained and operable.
  • Use seat belts when operating mobile equipment.

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