Accident Report: Fatality Reference
PDF Version
May 1, 2025 - Fatality Alert.pdf
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MINE FATALITY – On May 1, 2025, an excavator operator died after material from a tailings cell engulfed the excavator he was operating. At the time of the accident, the excavator operator was loading dry material into two haul trucks.
Best Practices
- Establish and follow ground control procedures that are consistent with prudent engineering design for the safe control of all highwalls, pits, spoil banks and any area where miners will be working below a tailings or water storage cell.
- Examine highwalls, banks, and other areas that slope into working areas after every rain, freeze, or thaw and before miners begin work in such areas.
- Stay clear of potentially unstable areas. Document and correct unsafe ground conditions in the affected area.
- Equip excavators with two-way communication systems, high-strength glass, light sticks, cooling packs, and a breathable air device when working on material that has the potential to slide or engulf mobile equipment.
Additional Information
This is the 12th fatality reported in 2025, and the second classified as “Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind.”
The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary information only and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the accident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.