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METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On October 12, 2006, a 24-year old maintenance coordinator, with 1 year and 4 months mining experience, was fatally injured at an iron ore operation. The victim was troubleshooting an electrical fault in a high-voltage motor control center when a sustained arc blast occurred.

Photo of Accident Scene Describe in the paragraph above.

Best Practices


Before YOU perform any electrical work or troubleshooting:
  • Periodically calibrate and maintain circuit protective devices to ensure they operate properly under fault conditions.
  • Wear the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as fire resistant clothing, hoods, face shields and gloves, which are designed to protect against electrical arc flashes (as per NFPA 70E).
  • Stop, Look, Analyze, and Manage (SLAM) each task to identify all potential hazards before performing work.
More Information E-mail Suggestion for Accident Prevention Program Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future.
Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.


This is the 23rd fatality reported in calendar year 2006 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 2005, there were 28 fatalities reported in these industries. This is the 5th Electrical fatality in 2006. There were 2 Electrical fatalities in the same period in 2005.

The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.


For more information:
Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report



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