On June 3, 2016, a 24-year old haul truck operator, with 9 months of experience, and a 56-year old hydraulic excavator operator, with 6 years of experience, were killed at a sand and gravel operation. The two miners were working in a pit next to an abandoned roadway embankment, which partially bound an old pit. Waste clay and sand had been placed in the old pit for reclamation purposes. The embankment failed and the tailings and slurry engulfed both miners.
Best Practices
- Make sure that embankments containing ponds of water, tailings, processing waste, or other fluids are designed and constructed to be stable, and that mining operations are kept a safe distance away.
- Provide hazard training to all personnel working on or near an impoundment to recognize hazards associated with the impoundment, such as surface cracks or piping, and to recognize adverse conditions and environmental factors that can decrease stability before beginning work.
- Embankments adjoining workplaces and travelways should be examined weekly or more often if changing ground conditions warrant.
- Adverse weather, such as heavy rain, may introduce or increase hazardous conditions associated with impoundments, highwalls, and embankments. Workplace examinations should be increased when these hazards are present to recognize changing conditions.
- Before beginning work, conduct a workplace exam from as many perspectives as possible (bottom, sides, and top/crest) of ground conditions that could create a hazard to persons and repair, support or remove if found immediately. Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (pdf).
On May 10, 2016, a 46-year old maintenance man with 6 years of experience was fatally injured at a cement plant. The victim went to the top of the slurry tank to start the rake system. He fell 50 feet through a 3-foot by 4-foot opening in the walkway into the empty slurry tank below.
On April 11, 2016, a 61-year old dozer operator with 18 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface titanium ore mine. He had been leveling the haul roads into the pit with the dozer and was found lying approximately 30 feet in front of the dozer.
On April 9, 2016, a 25-year old plant operator with 4 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface copper ore mine. He was found unresponsive, kneeling with his face against a stainless steel flange that was connected to a high-density polyethylene pipe. The victim appeared to have received an electrical shock.
On March 22, 2016, a 42-year old lead man with 6 years of mining experience was fatally injured at a surface limestone mine when he was struck by fly rock from blasting operations. The lead man was parked in his pickup truck at a location to prevent others from accessing the blasting site. He was approximately 1,200 feet from the blast area.
On March 8, 2016, a 54-year old miner with 5 years of mining experience was killed at a surface sand and gravel operation. The miner backed his haul truck over a dump site and the driver was found at the bottom of the embankment, 60 feet below. The victim was found unresponsive and partially submerged in water. CPR was attempted, but the victim was not able to be resuscitated.
On February 26, 2016, a truck driver delivering multiple sections of polyurethane pipe was struck by a section of pipe during the unloading process. A forklift removed two sections of pipe from the passenger side of the truck, and then left the area with the two sections. While the forklift was away, a single, unsecured section of pipe rolled off on the driver’s side of the truck and struck the victim. Each section of pipe was approximately 50’ long and weighed approximately 1,750 pounds. Miners began first aid but the driver was unresponsive. He was transported to the local hospital and later died.
On December 28, 2015, a 42-year old miner with 3 years of experience was killed at a surface gold mine. The operator of a loaded haul truck was attempting to have his truck climb a snow covered access road when his truck slid backwards striking the cab of the victim’s loaded haul truck, which was also recovering from sliding backwards down the same access road. Several minutes later, a third loaded haul truck also slid down backwards while attempting to climb the access road, colliding with the other wrecked haul trucks.
On December 15, 2015, a 75-year old tow truck laborer was killed at a cement plant. As the tow truck operator was lowering the truck’s boom it struck the victim. The victim suffered a severe head wound but was conscious when transported to a local hospital but later died of his injuries.