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March 12, 2021 Fatality - Fatality Alert

Lapse in Appropriations

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Accident Report: Fatality Reference

PDF Version

MINE FATALITY – On March 12, 2021, a miner was fatally injured while attempting to insert a steel pin into a spud beam.

Accident scene

Best Practices

  • Always assure hoisted equipment movement has stopped and the hoist operator has set the brake before working on hoisted equipment. 
  • Assure the hoist operator can see miners working on hoisted equipment.
  • Establish an effective communication protocol, which includes confirmation of instructions, between the hoist operator and miners working on hoisted equipment.
  • Position yourself in a safe location to maintain balance and protection from any energy of cantilevering tools or objects.
  • Stay in a Safe Zone when working around cables and sheave wheel systems.
  • Always maintain a work area that is clean and clear of debris.
  • Train equipment operators in the safe performance of their tasks and potential hazards.

Additional Information

This is the seventh fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Handling Material.”