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METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On July 2, 2009, a 52-year old mine owner with 34 years of experience was fatally injured at a surface dimension stone operation. He was working alone and was operating a walk behind masonry saw on a ledge. Apparently he was positioned between the saw and the edge when he tripped and fell. The victim and the saw went over the 9-foot ledge and the saw fell on him.

Photo of Accident Site described in paragraph above.


Best Practices


  • Identify all hazards and use appropriate controls to protect persons.
  • Ensure that operators are in a safe position and have control of their equipment at all times.
  • Keep workplaces free of tripping hazards.
  • Use barricades or railings at edges of drop-offs where persons are in danger of falling.
  • Equip walk behind masonry saws with devices to stop the engine if the operator can not maintain control of the equipment.
  • Design bench top stone cutting patterns so the saw operator is not positioned between the saw and the drop off edge.
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 13th fatality reported in calendar year 2009 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 2008, there were 12 fatalities reported in these industries. This is the 4th Machinery fatality in 2009. There were 2 Machinery fatalities in the same period in 2008.

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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