Fatality Reports
MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
- Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
- Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
- Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions
Related Fatality Information
Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Davy Branch Mine - Logan, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Information:
On January 22, 2021, a miner was injured in a powered haulage accident at Aracoma Coal Company, Davy Branch Mine. The miner died on February 21, 2021. Because of the circumstances surrounding the accident, MSHA referred the accident to the Agency’s Chargeability Review Committee (Committee). On May 11, 2021, the Committee determined that the death should be chargeable to the mining industry.
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Hansen Pit - Salt Lake, Utah
Mine Controller: CCI (Clyde Companies Inc)
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Red Dog Operations - Northeast Arctic, Alaska
Mine Controller: Tech Resources Limited
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Lead-Zinc Ore
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Fords Branch Mine 1 - Pike, Kentucky
Mine Controller: Jerry Keith Mc Peek; Eric Mc Peek
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Sandstone
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Avery Island - Iberia, Louisiana
Mine Controller: Cargill Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Salt
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Houston Plant - Harris, TX
Mine Controller: New Park Resources Inc.
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Barite Barium Ore
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: American Eagle Mine - Kanawha, WV
Mine Controller: Sev.en Energy AG
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Smokey Valley Common Operations - Nye , Nevada
Mine Controller: Kinross Gold Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Williamstown Mine #1 - Dauphin, Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Scott B Kimmel
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Anthracite)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Swayback Quarry - Larimer, Colorado
Mine Controller: Rick Virgil
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Sandstone
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Columbia Quarry - Richland, South Carolina
Mine Controller: Vulcan Materials Company
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Granite
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Cardinal - Hopkins, Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Mine #3 - Bell, Kentucky
Mine Controller: Douglas S Warriner; Michael A Blubaugh
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Woodland Plant - Burlington, NJ
Mine Controller: William Clayton
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Arepet Industries - Bexar, Texas
Mine Controller: Ruben Garza; Ceasar F Saenz
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Sand industrials NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Chilton Inc - Cowlitz, Washington
Mine Controller: Chilton Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand & Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Moore Quarry - Pocahontas, IOWA
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: HJ Hove - Riverside, California
Mine Controller: Robar Enterprises Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Gravel Pit - Wright, Missouri
Mine Controller: James S. Peterson
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Cisco Mine - Murray, Georgia
Mine Controller: Carmeuse Holding SA
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Hudson Sand Mine - Peach, Georgia
Mine Controller: Curt B Jamison
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand Common
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: PLANT 2 - Chase, KANSAS
Mine Controller: Warren W Harshman
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Fast Pak Crusher - Maricopa, Arizona
Mine Controller: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Plant 1 - Maricopa, Arizona
Mine Controller: Gary Curtis
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Hand Tools
Location: Bluff City Minerals - Madison, Illinois
Mine Controller: Fred Weber, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Handling Material
Location: Enon Sand &Gravel - Clark, Ohio
Mine Controller: James P JurgensenII; Jacqueline J Alf; Jason R
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Newark Aquisition , LLC - Beauregard, Louisiana
Mine Controller: Mark LaBorde; Kevin A Cook
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand, Common
Accident Classification: Handling Material
Location: Patterson Road - Allegan MIchigan
Mine Controller: CRH PLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Rescission Date: August 5, 2020
MSHA’s Chargeability Review Committee reviewed the death certificate, autopsy report, medical information, and MSHA's accident investigation findings and determined that the miner died from natural causes. The fatality is not chargeable to the mine operator.