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Unsure of what conditions contributed to the death
A contractor died after a concrete retaining wall collapsed into the excavated trench below crushing EE.
Nobody saw the accident and we have not been able to interview the EE
EE was operating an excavator in Pit 2 at SPS Atascosa. Pit 2 is located between two tailings ponds. 9:18 AM one of the tailings ponds breached causing tailings mixture to flow into the work site. Tailings mixture tipped over the excavator EE was operating cab side down. The front window broke, tailings mixture engulfed the cab & 75% of the vehicle. Employee could not escape.
Trench was dug to repair drain pipe. No sloping or shoring protection system was in place. Trench was approximately 10 foot deep and 8 foot wide. Side wall collapsed and crushed worker.
The crew had drilled a chain hole and connected a chain to lift the block a short distance to break away from the ledge. When this occurred, grout rock remaining on the ledge above to miners broke loose and fell striking both of them, fatally injuring one and seriously injuring the second miner. The grout rock was left from the previous day, and was examined and determined safe.
While SC0539 Bulldozer was traveling on 1B Ramp, a large volume of material entered the road and contacted the bulldozer.
Employee was driving on work site when a tree fell off the High Wall into the cab of employee's pickup.
A visitor to the mine site was in a unauthorized area running a sluice box in a unstable trench when it collapsed and buried them. The trench was tapered and made safe to remove their body.
EE is believed to have been either chipping away several inches of top layer of brownish colored granite or drilling a chain hole through the granite near end of the block on the open face so block could be lifted using a chain. Granite block being worked on was approx. 5'x12'x30'. Additional submitted details on file.
Employee clearing crusher, rock came down chute and entrapped employee in crusher.
An individual was standing in the vicinity of a stockpile when material sloughed off from the stockpile and engulfed them.
EE was in the process of opening a 6' thick slab. Water bags were installed at the top of the slab. EE was not wearing a safety harness and was about 20' high. Slab broke and fell down & hit EE and crushed him.
Rope access technician was performing inspection of downcomer duct. Around 11:30a.m.the technician became unresponsive by radio. Upon rescue and removal from downcomer duct, technician was alert and responsive with apparent head and leg injuries. Technician was transported to the hospital where they passed away on 9/21/2017.
On August 3, 2017 a miner was fatally crushed while ee was dismantling a metal structure used to supply water to tech fine coal filter at the preparation plant.
Cracked stone fell and crushed employee. Employee didn't follow procedure. Employee's lanyard wasn't tied off and the employee was using a foot wedge and jackhammer with 1 1/4" bit. Employee should have been using 3/4" plug drill and 5" tether and wedge. The employee was drilling from the base and should have been drilling at the top.
The decedent, an o/operator, was located behind the truck, behind the raised dump trailer when a load of sand dumped from the trailer. The decedent was buried in the sand. Mgmt became aware of the missing driver at approx. 10:45 am and promptly began a search. EEs began digging in the pile of sand behind the decedent's truck and the decedent was discovered at approx 11:43 am.
Wash plant operator was operating a front-end loader during the overnight shift as normal. EE exited the loader and entered the hopper filled with sand the EE had just dumped. EE was fatally injured when they were engulfed in the sand, as it vibrated to the bottom of the hopper. EE may have entered the hopper to try to retrieve two pieces of metal inadvertently dumped into hopper.
An All-Terrain Forklift was unloading a trailer of poly pipe. While the All-Terrain Forklift was traversing away from the trailer, a single piece of pipe fell on the driver's side of the truck.
Was putting screw jacks in to hold a pony boom up, supports dislodged and the pony boom came down hitting shoulders knocking EE to the ground. *On October 1, 2015, the injured miner died. On October 13, 2016, MSHA's Fatality Review Committee determined the death to be mining related and chargeable to the mining industry.