Accident Report: Fatality Reference
PDF Version
MINE FATALITY – On March 15, 2023, a miner drowned when the ground sloughed causing the excavator he was operating to topple into a water-filled pit. The excavator became submerged in approximately 25 feet of water.
![Accident scene where a miner drowned when the ground sloughed causing the excavator he was operating to topple into a water-filled pit. The excavator became submerged in approximately 25 feet of water.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/fatalities/fatalgrams/March%2015%2C%202023%20Fatality%20Alert.jpg?itok=Fqa-1ian)
Best Practices
Mine operators should:
• Install berms at the edge of the working surface so machinery can operate a safe distance from the water.
• Evaluate ground conditions and mining methods before operating equipment near water.
• Examine work areas and equipment and correct unsafe conditions.
• Task train equipment operators on the operation of machinery.
Additional Information
This is the 12th fatality reported in 2023, and the fifth classified as “Machinery.”