Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Georgia

Every reportable accident on file with MSHA at a Georgia mine. Operators below are ranked by recorded fatality count in this state.

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Fatalities recorded
25
Total incidents
3,864
Fatal rate
1%
Years on record
2000–2024

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 2000 1
  2. 2001 1
  3. 2002 1
  4. 2003 1
  5. 2004 1
  6. 2008 1
  7. 2009 1
  8. 2010 1
  9. 2013 2
  10. 2015 1
  11. 2016 1
  12. 2017 1
  13. 2019 1
  14. 2020 2
  15. 2021 2
  16. 2022 2
  17. 2023 4
  18. 2024 1

Top mines in Georgia by fatality count

  1. 01 Wrens Plant 3fatal
  2. 02 Columbus Quarry LLC 2fatal
  3. 03 Boyd 1fatal
  4. 04 North Ridge Quarry 1fatal
  5. 05 LITHIA SPRINGS QUARRY 1fatal

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 KaMin LLC 3fatal
  2. 02 Atlanta Sand and Supply Co. 2fatal
  3. 03 Florida Rock Industries Inc 2fatal
  4. 04 Vulcan Construction Materials LLC 2fatal
  5. 05 Active Minerals International LLC 1fatal
  6. 06 Blue Circle Aggregates Inc 1fatal
  7. 07 Blue Sky Quarries, Inc. 1fatal
  8. 08 Brown Brothers Sand Company 1fatal
  9. 09 Carmeuse L&S 1fatal
  10. 10 Columbus Quarry LLC 1fatal

Recent fatalities

April 13, 2024 GA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · OTHER

Based on investigation to date, employee suffered a personal medical event (cardiac arrest). "Per Prelim: After washing a concrete pad, a miner drowned in a two-foot-deep pool of water."

November 13, 2023 GA · Metal/Non-Metal rotary bucket excavator operator Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
KaMin LLC · Caught in, under or between collapsing material or buildings

Investigation is ongoing. *A miner died after being engulfed by a collapsing highwall.

August 5, 2023 GA · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Savannah Valley Quarries, LLC · Struck by falling object

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.

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.

June 17, 2022 GA · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer Fatality · MACHINERY
Vulcan Construction Materials LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

A contract miner died when the compactor EE was operating overturned, pinning EE beneath the cab. As the compactor was traveling in reverse, the compactor's left tire went off a four-foot embankment causing the compactor to overturn.

April 25, 2022 GA · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · OTHER
Columbus Quarry LLC · Drowning

Complicated seizure disorder (not work related)

December 13, 2021 GA · Metal/Non-Metal utility man, errand boy, service truck operator Fatality · MACHINERY
Imerys Carbonates USA, Inc · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Utility operator was found non-responsive with EE's clothing entangled in the drill steel of the roof bolter.

July 28, 2021 GA · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Echols Mill Quarries LLC · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

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.

July 24, 2020 GA · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec Fatality · MACHINERY
Carmeuse L&S · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While loading a face on level 3, NW2, the man basket of the powder truck raised up into the roof of the mine causing a fatal incident. The accident is still under investigation by the operator and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

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.

May 13, 2019 GA · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman Fatality · MACHINERY
Greene County Quarries, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

Crane fell over into quarry with operator inside cab. The victim was operating crane lifting an approximately 15 ton block of granite from the pit. The boom of the crane lowered causing the crane to tip over and fall 85 feet into the pit.

July 20, 2017 GA · Metal/Non-Metal ledgeman/hand, quarry man Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Blue Sky Quarries, Inc. · Struck by falling object

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.

December 19, 2016 GA · Metal/Non-Metal washer operator, sizing operator Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Atlanta Sand and Supply Co Inc · Caught in, under or between collapsing material or buildings

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.

July 15, 2015 GA · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator Fatality · OTHER
Thiele Kaolin Company · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Contract employee entered rail car GATX 22394 at approximately 11:30 am, to wash out the rail car. At approximately 12:00, a Thiele employee went to check on him and observed him lying on the floor of the car. Emergency response was activated immediately. Employee was recovered from the rail car by EMS personnel and pronounced deceased.

December 13, 2013 GA · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Brown Brothers Sand Company · Caught in, under or between collapsing material or buildings

Employee was standing on a ditch bank when it collapsed. He fell into the ditch and was covered/crushed by falling material

November 7, 2013 GA · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE

Employee was operating a haul truck transporting material from the wash bins to a stockpile located Northwest of two settling ponds. On the return trip to the wash bins, the haul truck traveled through a berm on the left side of the haul road, went over an embankment and overturned on its left side in the settling pond.

October 20, 2010 GA · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Oil-Dri Georgia LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

An over-the-road truck driver (not a miner, nor an employee) was pinned against a loading dock by a shuttle trailor that was backing up to the dock.

May 2, 2009 GA · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Active Minerals International LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee followed none of the safety & company policies. Allowed his girlfriend on the property and up in the cab of the loader. Also, evidence is pointing to drugs or alcohol. Awaiting the toxicology report.

October 17, 2008 GA · Metal/Non-Metal power shovel operator Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
O-N Minerals (Filler Products) Company · Struck by falling object

Victim was scaling in level 9 north 8 when a large rock fell from the roof crushing the cab of the scale machine causing fatal injuries. The accident is still under investigation by MSHA and the mine operator. The root cause analysis is not complete at this time.

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