Mining Incidents in California

During preparation for dismantling of motor and gear box on slide gate. Employee didn't follow given instructions and removed all bolts from gearbox. That cause released of stored energy on slide gate and motor with gear box start spinning. Employee got caught by the equipment and started spinning with it. During spinning their head hit the handrail which caused a fatal injury.

Operator was backing up close to the edge at a berm and was facing the opposite way. Operator was pulled backwards by the counter weight, operator attempted to turn the machine to stop it from rolling into the ditch.

988 Loader caught fire, was unable to be extinguished by site personnel, 911 was called. Two fire crews arrived on site, one fireman approached the loader by the rear tire. The plant manager was yelling at them to get away from the tire. It exploded killing the fireman by the tire.

Machine operator was operating a CAT D9T dozer clearing overburden material from a bench. Operator reversed the machine backwards an estimated 200-300 ft. at a high speed without looking back and without responding to honking from another machine, per witness testimony. Machine fell off an edge. Operator was pronounced dead at the scene. Machine is total loss.

EE was involved in a traffic accident on the road that leads to the plant. EE was extricated from the vehicle and transported to the hospital where EE later died.

Employee clearing crusher, rock came down chute and entrapped employee in crusher.

Contractor truck driver was found lying on the ground on the drivers side of cement haul truck at the east truck access platform outbound lane by Golden Star trucking trainer and trainee at ~ 1:30-1:45 pm.

A fatal accident occurred on December 30, 2017. The employee was driving a Dodge pick-up in a stockpile area and pulled in behind a Caterpillar 992G loader. As the loader reversed, it struck the pick-up which then caught fire. The resulting injuries were fatal.

Knife River miners were replacing a screen. Our sales representative was on site. He was on site to provide technical assistance. He was struck in the head by the feeder box. EMS was notified and responded. A Knife River operator notified MSHA within 15 minutes. Injured person was taken to the hospital where he then passed away.

The miner was in progress of storing electrical cable into a cable tray. The south bracket some how came loose. When the south side of the cable tray came down it struck the ladder on the east side causing the ladder to fall towards the west. The miner tried to compensate for the fall by leaning to the west. He then fell from the ladder hitting the ground.

Miner was attempting to bring disabled truck down from the upper most harvest area. As he was dumping load, breaks let loose & truck went down uncontrollably. As it came to the next lower level, it hit a berm causing the miner to be ejected through the right hand window & was presumed to have been struck by a part of truck.

Miner was kneeling on left track of dozer attempting to adjust the throttle linkage when the dozer went to full throttle and began moving forward, sending the miner to the front of the dozer, resulting in him being run over and crushed by the machine.

2 miners lit their fuse for a face round and then re-entered blast area prior to the mandated 1 hour wait period. When they were within 25 feet of the face, a misfire detonated. This was against company policy and recent training. 1 miner was killed by the blast and the other injured.

Employee was walking near a line of Gypsum Bulk Delivery trucks (18 wheel T/T) and apparently stopped to lean on the rear of trailer while making phone call. Trailer moved forward, EE fell under rear trailer wheels.

The victim was operating a skid steer loader underneath a belt conveyor that was being dismantled. A co-worker was in an elevated manlift & was using a cutting torch to remove a piece of 4" metal tubing attached to the leg supports of the belt conveyor. The tubing fell to the ground, tipped over into the front of the loader & struck the victim. He was hospitalized & died on 1/9/09.

EE was backing up on stockpile to dump loaed 775D rock truck on oneway stockpile. Rock & truck backed over end of stockpile. Truck flipped over backwards and landed upside down about 30' below. No damage to cab, employee suffered fatal blunt force trauma.

Employee received a load of cement by the TXI scale person. After he received his load he pulled forward to a stationary rack designed for safe access to the top of each trailer. He closed all but 1 latch on the A trailer when he fell to the ground landing on his head. He was found at 1:30 pm lying on his back behind the second axle driver's side.

The victim was found laying on the ground by the rear bulk trailer.

Employee was assessing work area at floor opening. Employee fell into floor opening. The ensuing fall resulted in fatal head injuries.

Employee entered a trench and was struck by a large section of clay when a vertical wall of the trench collapsed.