Fatality Reports
MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
- Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
- Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
- Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions
Related Fatality Information
Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Advanced Restoration Technologies -1 - Morgan, KENTUCKY
Mine Controller: Gregory L Higgins; Gerald D DeRossett; Richard
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: N Attleboro Plant - Bristol, Massachusetts
Mine Controller: Thomas Walsh
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Stone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Hockley Plant - Harris, Texas
Mine Controller: Summit Materials LLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Huntington Plant CS01 - Ralls, Missouri
Mine Controller: Riverstone Group
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: San Miguel Lignite Mine - Atascosa, Texas
Mine Controller: North American Construction Group, LTD
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Lignite)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Plant 280 - Brookings, South Dakota
Mine Controller: Jason Bowes; Miranda C Bowes Peterson
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Bear Run Mine - Sullivan, Indiana
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Galena - Shoshone, Idaho
Mine Controller: Americas Gold and Silver Corp
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Silver Ore
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: South Pittsburg Stone #2 - Marion Tennessee
Mine Controller: South Pittsburg Stone Mine
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Stone NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Longview Mine - Barbour, West Virginia
Mine Controller: American Metals & Coal International Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Mine No. 1 - Hamilton, Illinois
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Fort Pierce Mine - St Lucie, Florida
Mine Controller: Vulcan Materials Company
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Plant & Quarry - Johnson, Texas
Mine Controller: United States Lime & Minerals Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Lime
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Elkhorn Stone - Pike, Kentucky
Mine Controller: CRH PLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Sandstone
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Grapevine South Surface Mine - Mingo, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Appalachian Resource Company LLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Drowning
Location: La Havana Pit - Hidalgo, Texas
Mine Controller: Oscar Cuellar; Nancy Cuellar
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Greenbrier Quarry - Faulkner, Arkansas
Mine Controller: Rogers Group Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Sandstone
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Randolph Deep Mine - Clay, Missouri
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Wrens Plant - Jefferson, Georgia
Mine Controller: IMin Partners
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Kaolin and Ball Clay
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Wrens Plant - Jefferson, Georgia
Mine Controller: IMin Partners
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Kaolin and Ball Clay
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Meikle Mine - Eureka , Nevada
Mine Controller: Newmont Goldcorp Corporation
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Mojave Plant & Quarry - Kern, California
Mine Controller: Taiheiyo Cement Corp
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Sevierville Quarry - Sevier, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Vulcan Materials Company
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: CO Poisoning
Location: Wellmore #8 Prep Plant - Buchanan, Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Date: 5/30/2023
On December 22, 2022, MSHA was informed of a contractor’s death at Black Diamond Company’s Wellmore #8 Prep Plant in Big Rock, VA. MSHA’s initial findings indicated medical related issues as the cause of death. However, on March 31, 2023, MSHA received the death certificate and on April 12, 2023, MSHA received the autopsy report; both stated that the contractor died from carbon monoxide poisoning. After further investigation and review, MSHA has decided that this death should be charged to the mining industry.
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Signal Peak Sillica of Atascosa - Atascosa, Texas
Mine Controller: Orchard Global Asset Management, LLP
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Sand industrial NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Viburnum #35 (Casteel Mine) - Iron, Missouri
Mine Controller: Renco Group
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Lead-Zinc Ore
Accident Classification: Engulfment
Location: Knoxville Cement Plant - Knox, Tennessee
Mine Controller: Cemex S A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Acosta Deep Mine - Somerset, Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Quintana Capital Group GP Ltd
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Holcim (US) Inc-Ada Plant - Pontotoc, Oklahoma
Mine Controller: Holcim Ltd
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Cement
MSHA was informed of a miner’s death at Holcim (US) Inc-Ada Plant in Pontotoc, OK. MSHA’s investigation team conducted an examination of the scene, interviewed miners and mine management, and reviewed relevant conditions and work practices. The investigation did not reveal any environmental, physical, or violative conditions that contributed to the accident. Therefore, MSHA referred this matter to the agency’s Chargeability Review Committee which reviewed the death certificate and MSHA's accident investigation findings and determined that the fatality is not chargeable to the mine operator.
Accident Classification: Confined Space
Location: Portable 11 - Providence, Rhode Island
Mine Controller: Joseph R Vinagro
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel