An equipment operator died when the bank of the pit he was working from sloughed causing the excavator he was operating to topple into 25 feet of water. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators determined that the mining method used near the pit compromised ground stability and failure to perform adequate jobsite examinations […]
A 19-year-old miner with three months of experience was killed by an automated telescopic portable radial stacker when his left foot got pinned by one of the vehicle’s tires, causing him to get run over. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators found that the incident occurred in part because the mine operator failed […]
A federal inspection of a North Dakota mine revealed 10 significant and substantial violations along with five unwarrantable safety failures, including machine guarding issues and failure to provide safe access to work areas. The Hazen Mine was among the 14 mines the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) chose for impact inspections in November 2023. […]
A mine operator’s and contractor’s failure to prevent their employees from working under raised equipment led to the death of a truck driver who was attempting to hook a chain to an excavator bucket. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators found that a 35-year-old contract truck driver was struck and killed by the bucket […]
A final rule intended to protect miners from surface mobile equipment was published by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The rule, which was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 20, 2023, will require mine operators to have written safety programs for surface mobile equipment at surface mines and the surface areas […]
A 62-year-old miner with more than 17 years of experience was killed in a crash when a battery powered personnel carrier he was riding on, and that was carrying too many passengers, overturned. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators determined that the mine operator didn’t maintain the vehicle in safe operating condition and failed […]
A driver was killed when the ground under his haul truck collapsed as he dumped a load of sand at a mine. Investigators found that inadequate workplace examinations contributed to the incident. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators determined that the inadequate workplace examinations failed to reveal the hazard, leading to the fatal […]
Forty-two miners died in fiscal year 2023, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). That’s 10 more than the 2022 total. This marks the highest spike in miner fatalities since 2014 when the total number was 43, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of mining fatalities […]
An Ohio mine was cited for 25 violations, including six deemed as significant and substantial, for failing to perform adequate workplace examinations and repeat violations relating to machine and fall hazards. The inspection was one of nine impact inspections performed by the U.S. Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) at mines in seven states […]
