Accident Report: Fatality Reference
PDF Version
August 15,2019 fatality - Fatality Alert.pdf
(440.87 KB)
MSHA MINE FATALITY – On Friday August 15, 2019, a 44-year-old contract electrician with 10 weeks of mining experience was electrocuted when he contacted a 120V cable while working inside a fire suppression system's electrical panel.
Best Practices
- Ensure miners receive proper training on all electrical related tasks.
- Ensure that circuit breakers and switches are properly labeled.
- Properly lock-out and tag-out electrical circuits prior to working on them.
- Wear properly rated and well maintained personal protective equipment while troubleshooting or testing energized circuits.
- Use properly insulated tools when performing electrical work.
- Use properly rated electrical meters and non-contact voltage testers to ensure electrical circuits have been de-energized prior to performing electrical work.
Additional Information
This is the 15th MSHA fatality reported in calendar year 2019. As of this date in 2018, there were 12 MSHA fatalities reported. This is the second electrical accident classification fatality in 2019. There was one electrical accident classification fatality during the same period in 2018.