October 7, 2022 Fatality - Fatality Alert

Lapse in Appropriations

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Accident Report: Fatality Reference

October 7, 2022 Fatality

PDF Version

October 7 2022 - Fatality Alert.pdf (333.55 KB)

MINE FATALITY – On October 7, 2022, a mechanic was fatally injured when he was engulfed in material after he entered an air separator to clear a blockage.

Accident where a mechanic was fatally injured when he was engulfed in material after he entered an air separator to clear a blockage.

Best Practices

Install mechanical flow-enhancing devices, such as mechanical vibratory devices, that can maintain material flow and prevent the need for miners to enter a confined space.
Mine operators should establish procedures to clear blockages and train all miners in the procedures.
Make sure miners wear a safety belt or harness equipped with a lifeline when entering a confined space, and that a second miner, similarly equipped, is attending the lifeline.

Additional Information

This is the 24th fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Confined Space.”