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: Handling Material
Location: Ovyn #1 Pit - Taylor, Wisconsin
Mine Controller: Dennis Ovyn
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Bonito Pit - Valencia, New Mexico
Mine Controller: Robert Caldwell; Dale Armstrong
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Confined Space
Location: Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc - Morenci, Arizona
Mine Controller: Freeport-McMoRan Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Copper Ore NEC
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Butte Gulch - Shoshone, Idaho
Mine Controller: Randy L Rice
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Star Bridge Preparation Plant-Rail Load - Mill Creek, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Marfork Processing - Raleigh, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Date: 8/4/2021
On August 4, 2021, a miner was injured in a slip or fall of person accident at Marfork Processing, Marfork Coal Company, LLC. The miner died on August 8, 2021. Because of the circumstances surrounding the accident, MSHA referred the accident to the Agency’s Chargeability Review Committee (Committee). On August 23, 2023, the Committee determined that the death should be chargeable to the mining industry.
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Bridgeport Stone Plant - Wise, Texas
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Inundation
Location: Gentry Mine #3 - Emery, Utah
Mine Controller: Patrick Peterson
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Boyd/Echols Mill North - Elbert, Georgia
Mine Controller: David W Dye; Randy K Smith
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Stone NEC
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Hercules Cement LP - Northmpton Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Buzzi Unicem S P A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Black Thunder - Campbell, Wyoming
Mine Controller: Arch Resources Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Immel Mine - Knox, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Nyrstar NV
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Zinc
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Stillwater Mine - Stillwater, Montana
Mine Controller: Sibanye Stillwater Limited
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Platinum Group Ore
Accident Classification: Handling Material
Location: Plant #10 - Crosby, Texas
Mine Controller: Brian T Etchison; Ralph E Janes IV
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Horse Creek Eagle - Raleigh, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Marion County Mine - Marion, West Virginia
Mine Controller: ACNR Holdings Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Young Mine - Jefferson, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Nyrstar Nevada
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Zinc
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Kocjancic - Jefferson, Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: J Clifford Forrest III
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Broadfoot Pit #2 - Buffalo, Nebraska
Mine Controller: Aaron D. Broadfoot; Austin L. Broadfoot
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Mobile Crusher #3 Frontera Materials - Hidalgo, Texas
Mine Controller: Edwin E Forshage III
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Stone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Dredge Chesterfield - St Louis, Missouri
Mine Controller: David J Bangert
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand Common
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Otter Creek Sand & Gravel Inc - Fulton, Illinois
Mine Controller: Dave Clinard
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Sierra Ready Mix Quarry Site - Clark, Nevada
Mine Controller: Summit Materials LLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand industrial NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Immel Mine - Knox, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Nyrstar NV
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Zinc
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Washington County Aggregates Inc - Washington, Missouri
Mine Controller: Kelley C Silvey
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
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