Electrical

MNM Fatality – 9/13/25

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On September 13, 2025, an electrician contacted 277 volts of alternating current while working on a light fixture in an office building. He was electrocuted and fell off a ladder.

Best Practices

  • Always lock out, tag out, and test electrical equipment to verify all power has been de-energized prior to working on it.
  • Label power switches to show which units they control, unless identification can be made readily by location.
  • Leave protective covers in place until electrically powered equipment is de-energized.
  • Establish safe procedures before beginning work and discuss them with all miners involved in the task.
  • Always use properly rated tools and personal protective equipment when working with electricity.
  • Ensure that miners are properly task-trained for their assigned tasks.

Additional Information

This is the 23rd fatality reported in 2025, and the second classified as “Electrical.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

MNM Fatality – 7/26/25

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On July 26, 2025, an electrician was electrocuted when he came in contact with one phase of a 13,200-volt three phase power source.

Best Practices

  • Always lock out, tag out, and try out electrical equipment prior to work.
  • Verify circuits are de-energized using properly rated test equipment.
  • Leave protective covers in place until electrically powered equipment is de-energized.
  • Always ensure High Voltage equipment conductors are grounded before beginning work.
  • Always use proper tools and Personal Protective Equipment when working with electricity.

Additional Information

This is the 17th fatality reported in 2025, and the first classified as “Electrical.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)

MNM Fatality – 8/9/24

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On August 9, 2024, an electrician was seriously injured by an arc flash from a 4,160 VAC circuit while working on an electrical panel for a motor control center.  On August 22, 2024, he died from his injuries.

Best Practices

  • Lock out and tag out circuits before working on electrical equipment:
    • Identify and control all hazardous energy sources before starting any task.
    • Open the circuit breaker or load break switch to de-energize the equipment. 
    • Open the visual disconnect to confirm that incoming power is off.
    • Lockout/Tagout the visual disconnect.
    • Ground the de-energized conductors.
  • Use properly rated electrical meters and personal protective equipment, such as electrically rated gloves, arc flash protection suits, insulated blankets or mats, and polycarbonate barriers. 
  • Establish safe procedures before beginning work and discuss them with all miners involved in the task.

Additional Information

This is the 15th fatality reported in 2024, and the second classified as “Electrical.”

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

MNM Fatality – 5/8/24

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On May 8, 2024, a miner was electrocuted while unloading a roll of belt from a trailer.  The miner was performing rigging duties when the crane boom contacted an overhead high-voltage powerline.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that booms or masts of equipment are not operated within 10 feet of any energized overhead powerline.
  • Designate one person on the ground, located in a safe location, to give signals to the crane operator and watch placement and proximity of the boom.
  • Use non-conducting tag lines to steady loads when operating cranes where overhead power lines are present.
  • Post warning signs at all approaches to overhead powerlines; install barricades where necessary.

Additional Information

This is the fifth fatality reported in 2024, and the first classified as “Electrical.”

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

MNM Fatality – 2/6/23

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This fatality never had an alert posted individually by MSHA but was mentioned in this Electrical Saety Alert. The following text is from the Final Report.

On February 6, 2023, at approximately 3:45 p.m., Javier Regalado-Cano (Regalado), a 61 year-old haul truck driver with over a year of mining experience, was fatally injured when he received an electrical shock. While Regalado was operating a haul truck, he raised the bed of the haul truck into the energized 13,800-volt phase-to-phase power lines (power lines). Regalado exited the haul truck and extinguished a fire on the haul truck’s left rear dual tires. Regalado received an electrical shock when he contacted the energized haul truck while reentering it. 

The accident occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) install warning devices for the power lines, and 2) de-energize or take other precautionary measures when mobile equipment was operating near energized power lines. 

Additional Information

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

Electric Arc Flash – Safety Alert

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In the last six months, 11 miners received injuries due to electric arc flashes.

Best Practices

  • Establish safe procedures before beginning work and discuss the plan with all miners involved in the task.
  • Electricians must know how to de-energize and disconnect electrical systems and equipment.
  • Use properly rated electrical meters and personal protective equipment, such as electrically rated gloves, insulated blankets or mats, and polycarbonate barriers.
  • Lock out and tag out circuits before working on electrical equipment.
    • Identify and control all hazardous energy sources before conducting any task.
    • Open the circuit breaker or load break switch to de-energize the incoming power cables or conductors.
    • Open the visual disconnect to confirm incoming power is off.
    • Lockout/Tagout the visual disconnect.
    • Ground the de-energized conductors.

Click here for MSHA Alert (pdf).

MNM Fatality (2) – 1/27/23

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On January 27, 2023, at approximately 6:25 a.m., CharQuaveiun Bloodsaw, a 23 year-old contract haul truck operator with 48 weeks of mining experience, and Damian Asberry, a 25 year-old contract haul truck operator with seven years of mining experience, were electrocuted. An energized high-voltage power line contacted their haul trucks, resulting in fatal electric shocks when they exited the cabs of their haul trucks. 

There was no Fatal Alert posted by MSHA for these fatalities.

Additional Information

Click here for: Preliminary Report 1 (pdf), Preliminary Report 2 (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 9/1/22

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On September 1, 2022, a roof bolter was electrocuted when he contacted a metal hook that became energized after it penetrated the 480-volt cable that supplied electrical power to a roof bolting machine.

Best Practices: 

  • Make sure miners use suitable, non-conductive ropes when pulling or handling electrical cables. 
  • Never attach conductive parts, such as metallic hooks, to the portions of non-conductive ropes that contact electrical cables.
  • Make sure miners use proper Personal Protective Equipment when handling cables, such as insulated gloves.

Additional Information: 

This is the 20th fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Electrical.”

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

MNM Fatality – 11/17/21

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On November 17, 2021, an 18 year-old* customer truck driver with no mining experience* was electrocuted after the tarping mechanism on the trailer contacted a high-voltage overhead power line at a mine with 10 employees*.  While exiting the cab of the truck, the victim contacted the energized truck and received a nonfatal electrical shock.  When he tried to reenter the cab of the truck, he was electrocuted.

Best Practices: 

  • Construct roadways to provide adequate width and clearance between mobile equipment and energized high-voltage power lines, as required by the National Electrical Safety Code.  Evaluate clearances periodically to account for changing physical and environmental conditions.
  • Provide and maintain a safe location for truck drivers to tarp their loads.
  • Check for overhead hazards when raising and lowering truck beds and tarps.
  • If your vehicle contacts an energized power line:
    • Stay in your vehicle.
    • Immediately call for help on a mobile phone or radio.
    • If staying in the vehicle is unsafe, jump away from the vehicle without contacting the vehicle and the ground at the same time.  Once on the ground, hop away from the power line for at least 40 feet.
  • Post readily visible warning signs or signals when overhead hazards exist.

Additional Information: 

This is the 32nd fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Electrical.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

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

MNM Fatality – 11/23/20

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On November 23, 2020 (at a mine in Houston, TX with 12 employees*), a (39 year old Maintenance Mechanic with 1 year 7 weeks experience*) was electrocuted while troubleshooting a disconnect box for the classifier drive motor. The victim had the electrical disconnect box open and the main power supply was not deenergized.

Best Practices: 

  • Ensure electrical circuit components are properly designed and installed by qualified electrical personnel.
  • Ensure electrical troubleshooting and work are performed by people with proper electrical qualifications. Positively identify the circuit on which work will be conducted.
  • Before performing electrical work, locate the visual disconnect away from an enclosure and open it, lock it, and tag it, to ensure all electrical components in the enclosure are de-energized. Verify by testing for voltage using properly rated test 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 electrical equipment and circuits.

Additional Information: 

This is the 26th fatality reported in 2020, and the second classified as “Electrical.”  (* Italicized details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data)

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