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: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Arch Coal Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Texas
Mine Controller: Ash Grove Cement Company
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Florida
Mine Controller: EI DuPont De Nemours & Co Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Titanium Ore
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Arizona
Mine Controller: Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Copper Ore NEC
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Catenary Coal Holdings, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Explosives and Breaking Agents
Location: Iowa
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Lime
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Utah
Mine Controller: CRH PLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Texas
Mine Controller: RJS Holdings LLC; MWR Holdings LLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: GenPower Holdings LP;James L Laurita Jr
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Coronado Coal LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Nevada
Mine Controller: Barrick Gold Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Iowa
Mine Controller: Lafarge S A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Coalfield Transport Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: Randall E Crawford
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
On August 19, 2015, a miner was injured at Alliance Resource Partners LP - Mine No. 1 when the boom of a belt drive he was installing fell and hit him on the shoulder. On October 1, 2015 the miner died. On February 17, 2016, MSHA was notified that the miner died as a result of the August 19, 2015, injuries. On April 11, 2016, MSHA referred the accident to the chargeability Review Committee. On October 13, 2016, the Chargeability Review Committee determined that the death should be charged to the mining industry. The death certificate listed clinical debilitation due to left shoulder injury as a contributing factor.
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Virginia
Mine Controller: Charles S Luck IV; Charles S Luck III
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Granite
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Nevada
Mine Controller: Keith Jones
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: North Dakota
Mine Controller: Dale Honsey
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Other
Location: Georgia
Mine Controller: J Eric Tillirson
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Kaolin and Ball Clay
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Ohio
Mine Controller: Heidelberg Cement AG
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Massachusetts
Mine Controller: Louise Landers
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Mepco Intermediate Holdings, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Striking or Bumping
Location: New Hampshire
Mine Controller: Gregory S Fillmore
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Cambrian Coal Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Nevada
Mine Controller: Allied Nevada Gold Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Missouri
Mine Controller: Buzzi Unicem S P A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Daniel E Acker
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Stone NEC
Amendments