Mining Incidents

Machinery

Every reportable mining accident MSHA has classified under Machinery. Fatalities and serious injuries are the bulk of these records; some categories also include reportable non-injury events.

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Fatalities recorded
250
Total incidents
27,711
Of which fatal
1%

Operators with the most machinery fatalities

  1. 01Oak Grove Resources LLC1fatal
  2. 02Barrick Turquoise Ridge Inc1fatal
  3. 03South State Inc1fatal
  4. 04Rogers Group Inc1fatal
  5. 05South Pittsburg Stone1fatal
  6. 06Canyon Fuel Company LLC1fatal
  7. 07Salem Stone Corp1fatal
  8. 08Cadman (Rock) Inc1fatal
  9. 09McElroy Coal Company1fatal
  10. 10Canarico Quarries Inc1fatal

Recent machinery fatalities

Struck by powered moving object

At approximately 05.12am on the 12th March 2026, a mechanic was struck by a drill boom in a surface workshop, causing fatal injuries.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

The IE was moving the miner to the face in entry #3 when we found the IE pinned between the miner tail and the solid rib.

Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

During preparation for dismantling of motor and gear box on slide gate. Employee didn't follow given instructions and removed all bolts from gearbox. That cause released of stored energy on slide gate and motor with gear box start spinning. Employee got caught by the equipment and started spinning with it. During spinning their head hit the handrail which caused a fatal injury.

Drowning

EE died after the dragline EE was operating slid into a water-filled pit.

Drowning

EE died after the dragline EE was operating slid into a water-filled pit.

Struck against a moving object

Operator was backing up close to the edge at a berm and was facing the opposite way. Operator was pulled backwards by the counter weight, operator attempted to turn the machine to stop it from rolling into the ditch.

Struck by falling object

It rained and the mining pit needed to be dewatered. EE was at the mine site alone. It was reported that EE's spouse, was in the truck on the mine site while EE went into the pit. EE moved the telehandler into the pit, parked it on the bottom of the pit parallel on the ramp. EE exited the tele. While standing outside of the tele facing east, the tele fell over onto EE, crushing EE.

Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a DM45 Highwall Drill on a drill bench. Employee was traveling parallel to the edge and the outside edge gave way. The drill slid off the bench and landed 25 feet below.

Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Miner did not follow protocol. Therefore causing the death of the same.

Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Employee died when they became entangled in the log washer.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was standing on 172 shield and advancing 173 shield towards the face. The employee was found with an injury to the back of the head at 171 shield.

Struck against stationary object

Employee was operating an Excavator assisting Dozer operator in removing a big rock on the DC8A pit area. Excavator was between the rock and the top of highwall. Excavator went over the highwall ejecting the employee.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

During a pipe breaking operation by the float crew on the #5 Matrix line near the #8 Lift Pump, the Leaderman was struck by a pipe and suffered fatal injuries. The investigation of the accident by MSHA and the company is ongoing. Autopsy results are also pending.

Struck by falling object

EE STARTED THE DAY AND HAD WORKED AT THE SHOP LOCATED IN LEHI, UTAH FOR THE MAJORITY OF EE'S WHOLE SHIFT. THERE WERE MATERIALS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO OUR CREW TO CONTINUE WORKING. EE DROVE TO THE WORKSITE. WHILE EE WAS THERE, EE WAS WALKING AND WHILE WALKING EE WAS STRUCK BY THE FORKS OF A PEICE OF EQUIPMENT THAT FELL OVER, WHICH RESULTED IN EE'S LIFE ENDING.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Miner was moving a rinse bucket to access a piece of metal that needed to be repaired and welded. As EE pulled the pin from the rinse bucket somehow the hydraulic cylinder gave way pinning the miner in between the bucket and a handrail. Resulting in the death of the miner.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Tangled in drill steel while installing ground support.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While attempting to lower feed box on wash plant employee was trapped between feed box and hand railing causing fatal injuries to employee.

Struck by falling object

While lifting a VSI lid a strap broke. The lid struck the victim causing severe head trauma.

Struck by falling object

EE's working to clean the mainframe arm on primary crusher. During the lift, the rigging assembly appears to have failed, striking the EE who was located in the line of fire.

Struck against a moving object

Machine operator was operating a CAT D9T dozer clearing overburden material from a bench. Operator reversed the machine backwards an estimated 200-300 ft. at a high speed without looking back and without responding to honking from another machine, per witness testimony. Machine fell off an edge. Operator was pronounced dead at the scene. Machine is total loss.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) accident records, kept current weekly. Classification labels are MSHA's own coding.