On August 4, 2024, a contractor suffered severe chemical and thermal burns after he stepped into a deep opening in the floor obscured by puddled liquid. The contractor fell into a mixture of hot water and caustic liquid. On September 2, 2024, he died from his injuries.
Best Practices
• Install adequate warning signals and barricades for openings above, below, or near travelways where miners, including contractors, or materials may fall.
• Conduct workplace examinations to identify conditions that may adversely affect the safety or health of miners.
• Keep workplaces, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms clean and orderly.
• When wet processes are used, maintain drainage and provide false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing areas where practicable.
Additional Information
This is the 17th fatality reported in 2024, and the first classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”
Click here for Preliminary Report (pdf)