Warehouseman

Employee fell while steam cleaning loader.

On August 4, 2021, at 8:12 a.m., Jeffery Hudnall, a 60 year-old steam truck operator with 16 years of mining experience, was fatally injured while steam cleaning a front-end loader. Hudnall was standing on the front-end loader’s right-side deck when he fell over nine feet to a concrete pad. The accident occurred because the contractor did not ensure the miner wore fall protection where there was a danger of falling.

1. The contractor did not ensure the miner wore fall protection where there was a danger of falling.

   Corrective action: The contractor developed and implemented a new written procedure and equipment modification to protect miners from falling. The mine operator trained miners on the procedure and modification which includes:

Read the full report (PDF)

Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.

Activity at time of incident

Machine Maintenance

Subunit / location

MILL OPERATION/PREPARATION PLANT

Accident type

Fall from machine

Source of injury

WORKING SURF OUTSIDE,(Not Elsewhere Classified)

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

HEAD,NEC

Total mining experience

16 years

Experience at this mine

7 years

Experience in this job

5 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY