Muerte de Rotary Bucket Excavator Operator en Atascosa (Iron Oak Atascosa LLC), TX, 1 de mayo de 2025

EE was operating an excavator in Pit 2 at SPS Atascosa. Pit 2 is located between two tailings ponds. 9:18 AM one of the tailings ponds breached causing tailings mixture to flow into the work site. Tailings mixture tipped over the excavator EE was operating cab side down. The front window broke, tailings mixture engulfed the cab & 75% of the vehicle. Employee could not escape.

Texto original en inglés de la MSHA

On May 1, 2025, at 9:18 a.m., Alan Josue Castillo Herrarte, a 25-year-old contract heavy equipment operator with two years and seven months of mining experience, died after a section of the waste tailings pond retaining dam ruptured, allowing material to escape the impoundment. The material pushed the excavator he was operating off a bench, causing it to overturn and become engulfed in the material. The accident occurred because the mine operator and contractor did not: 1) substantially construct and inspect the retaining dam at regular intervals, 2) conduct a workplace examination in Pit 2C before miners began work. Additionally, the mine operator did not use mining methods to maintain wall, bank, and slope stability.

1. The mine operator and contractor did not substantially construct and inspect the retaining dam at regular intervals.

2. The mine operator and contractor did not conduct a workplace examination in Pit 2C before miners began work.

3. The mine operator did not use mining methods to maintain wall, bank, and slope stability.

Lee el informe completo (PDF)

Hallazgos del informe final de investigación de la MSHA, que sustituye la narrativa preliminar anterior.

Actividad al momento del incidente

Power Shovel, Dragline

Subunidad / ubicación

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Tipo de accidente

Golpeado por objeto que rueda o se desliza

Fuente de la lesión

BROKEN ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE

Naturaleza de la lesión

UNCLASSIFIED,NOT DETERMED

Parte del cuerpo afectada

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Experiencia minera total

2 years

Experiencia en esta mina

2 years

Experiencia en este puesto

2 years

Grado de la lesión

FATALITY

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