Mining Incidents

Electrical

Every reportable mining accident MSHA has classified under Electrical. Fatalities and serious injuries are the bulk of these records; some categories also include reportable non-injury events.

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Fatalities recorded
63
Total incidents
1,645
Fatal rate
4%

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 Asarco LLC 2fatal
  2. 02 Consolidation Coal Company 2fatal
  3. 03 Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc 2fatal
  4. 04 KaMin LLC 2fatal
  5. 05 Kanawha Eagle Mining, LLC 2fatal
  6. 06 Apac-Missouri, Inc 1fatal
  7. 07 Aracoma Coal Company, LLC 1fatal
  8. 08 Atlanta Sand and Supply Co. 1fatal
  9. 09 Barrick Turquoise Ridge, Inc. 1fatal
  10. 10 Blue Diamond Coal Company 1fatal

Recent fatalities

September 13, 2025 MO · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Tower Rock Stone Company · Contact with electrical current

Miner was on first floor of "New Office" working on a ladder changing a light. Miners co-worker went to basement to retrieve another new light. Co-worker heard a thump and a bang on the ceiling. Co-worker found miner sitting slumped on the floor unresponsive. Started CPR, called 911, deployed AED but the miner could never be revived.

July 26, 2025 MT · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Stillwater Mining Company · Contact with electrical current

The employee was performing routine preventative maintenance on a transformer when EE was fatally electrocuted.

August 9, 2024 TX · Metal/Non-Metal master mechanic, foreman, supervisor Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Buzzi Unicem USA · Flash burns (electric)

Arc flash event involving electrical equipment that resulted in burns to the employee's arms and torso as well as electrical equipment damage. The employee was injured and hospitalized after the incident but, passed away in the hospital on 08/22/2024.

May 8, 2024 IN · Metal/Non-Metal beltman, conveyor man, conveyor belt worker, mobile bridge carrierman, feeder operator, conveyor rider Fatality · ELECTRICAL
US Aggregates Inc · Contact with electrical current

Crane lifting conveyor belt off of trailer using cable rigging employee was guiding rigging crane struck overhead power line employee was electrocuted

February 6, 2023 AR · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Rogers Group Inc · Contact with electrical current

An employee operating a Caterpillar 770 haul truck hauling material to repair the road to the stripping area. As the employee dumped the load the bed contacted overhead powerlines. The employee exited the truck to extinguish a fire. Upon returning to the truck EE reached for the handrail. When EE touched the truck, EE was electrocuted.

January 27, 2023 GA · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · ELECTRICAL
KaMin LLC · Contact with electrical current

Investigation is still under way and an autopsy is being performed to determine cause. *Per the prelim: Two contractors were electrocuted when a 14,400-volt overhead power line came in contact with their off-road dump trucks, and the contractors exited their trucks and contacted the ground.

January 27, 2023 GA · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · ELECTRICAL
KaMin LLC · Contact with electrical current

Investigation is still ongoing, and an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause. *Per the prelim: Two contractors were electrocuted when a 14,400-volt overhead power line came in contact with their off-road dump trucks, and the contractors exited their trucks and contacted the ground.

October 22, 2022 PA · Coal examiner, fire boss, pre-shift examiner, mine examiner Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Wilson Creek Energy LLC · Contact with electrical current

An examiner was found unresponsive in an underground sump. As of this time the exact cause of the employee's death is still undetermined.

September 1, 2022 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Kanawha Eagle Mining, LLC · Contact with electrical current

On 09/01/2022 at approximately 4:40 p.m. at 32 brk on 2 Belt track, employee came into contact with a 480 volt roof bolter cable and was fatally injured.

November 23, 2020 TX · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Excalibar Minerals LLC · Contact with electrical current

Contributing Factors: (1)Energized equipment. (2)EE failure to follow company LO/TO procedures. (3)Outer wire jacket showed signs of heating & cooling. (4)EE grabbed the live "C" phase wire.

July 9, 2020 GA · Metal/Non-Metal superintendent Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Atlanta Sand and Supply Co. · Contact with electrical current

Employee was working in a de-energized 4160 volt GFCI controller in an attempt to reverse the polarity of the wires when it somehow became energized.

September 17, 2019 WV · Coal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Panther Creek Mining LLC · Contact with electrical current

EE was attempting to identify the problems with the scrubber motor on the JM 6911 continuous miner on the number one section in the number one entry when EE came in contact with electricity. The employee was brought to the surface and transported by ambulance to a Hospital where EE later passed away from the injury sustained from the incident.

August 15, 2019 LA · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Compass Minerals Louisiana Inc. · Contact with electrical current

A contractor died at the operation underground. The cause of death is unknown at the time of this report. MSHA issued a 103(k) order on the area. The information in this report is all we have at this time.

August 7, 2019 WV · Coal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Kanawha Eagle Mining, LLC · Contact with electrical current

EE was working to replace a high voltage starter for the slope belt and was in the process of adjusting the mechanical linkage connected to the switch when EE came in contact with electricity. EE was transported via ambulance to CAMC Memorial where EE passed away from the injuries sustained from the incident.

February 21, 2018 WV · Coal driller, highwall operator, highwall drill operator Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Bundy Auger Mining, Inc · Contact with electrical current

Employee was electrocuted by transformer power.

July 14, 2017 OR · Metal/Non-Metal groundman, yardman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
EP Minerals, LLC · Contact with electrical current

Temporary contracted employee contacted the 12500 volt overhead power line with an irrigation pipe

April 9, 2016 AZ · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Freeport-McMoRan Safford Inc · Contact with electrical current

Employee went to prime the diaphragm pump located outside the stripping machine building, adjacent to the hydraulic room. Eight minutes pass where EE is unaccounted for prior to being found unresponsive, kneeling in liquid, face against the stainless steel flange of the tank house return HDPE line.

August 20, 2014 VA · Coal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor Fatality · ELECTRICAL
CONSOL Buchanan Mining Company LLC · Contact with electrical current

The employee was working on a Fletcher roof bolter. He had the panel board off trouble shooting inside the electrical components of the machine. He apparently came in contact with electricity. The investigation is not complete at this time.

July 21, 2014 SC · Metal/Non-Metal assistant mine foreman, assistant mine manager Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Murray Mines Inc. · Contact with electrical current

Employee pulled aluminum boat over three electric conductors in dredge pond. A patch on the bottom of the boat cut into one conductor and electrocuted the employee. The employee died as a result of the accident.

November 18, 2013 KY · Metal/Non-Metal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company · Contact with electrical current

Employee was working near an energized Soft Start Component. Started convulsing or having a seizure. Possible electrocution. Still unknown.