On March 5, 2025, a miner died while clearing strips of old belt rubber from a belt conveyor tail roller. During this process, the belt conveyor started to operate, causing the miner to become entangled in between the fluted tail roller and the belt.
Best Practices
- De-energize, lock out, tag out, and block belt conveyors against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
- Provide safe access where miners work.
- Install adequate guarding to prevent any contact between miners and moving parts of a belt conveyor, including rollers and head and tail areas.
- Establish policies and procedures for conducting maintenance on belt conveyors.
- Task train miners on safe work practices.
Additional Information
This is the ninth fatality reported in 2025, and the fourth classified as “Powered Haulage.”
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).