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December 6, 2021 Fatality - Fatality Alert

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Accident Report: Fatality Reference

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MINE FATALITY – On December 6, 2021, a miner was fatally injured while he was working in a pan feeder under a chute.  While attempting to remove angle iron that blocked the chute’s gate from closing, he was engulfed by material that fell from a surge pile above the chute.  The victim died from his injuries on December 10, 2021.

Accident scene where a miner was fatally injured while he was working in a pan feeder under a chute.

Best Practices

  • Do not allow miners to travel on or below material that is on or above the sides of a bin, hopper, or chute.
  • Provide mechanical devices or other effective means to protect miners from entrapment by caving material.
  • Provide and maintain a safe means of access for all working places.
  • De-energize, lock out, tag out, and block machinery or equipment against hazardous motion before performing repairs or maintenance.
  • Examine work areas and equipment.  Correct defects, or report them to the operator.
  • Train miners to perform their assigned tasks safely.

Additional Information

This is the 35th fatality reported in 2021, and the second classified as “Confined Space.”