Utility Man fatality at Whitestone Mine #4 (Imerys Carbonates USA, Inc), GA, December 13, 2021

Utility operator was found non-responsive with EE's clothing entangled in the drill steel of the roof bolter.

On December 13, 2021, at approximately 8:45 a.m., William Dutton, a 49 year-old mine utility operator with over four years of mining experience, died when he became entangled in the rotating drill steel of a roof bolting machine. The accident occurred because: 1) the equipment was not de-energized and blocked against hazardous motion before engaging in maintenance or repairs, and 2) the mine operator did not provide roof bolters with adequate task training in the safe operation of the equipment.

1. The mine operator did not assure that the equipment was de-energized and blocked against hazardous motion, before engaging in maintenance or repairs.

   Corrective action: The mine operator developed and implemented written procedures that included de-energizing, locking-out and tagging-out, and blocking equipment against hazardous motion, before engaging in maintenance or repairs. The mine operator trained all affected miners in the new procedures.

2. The mine operator did not provide roof bolting machine operators with adequate task training in the safe operation of the equipment.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised the training plan to include the roof bolting machine by adding: 1) a revised matrix of tasks that included the roof bolting machine, 2) safe operating procedures for the roof bolting machine, 3) a description of how the task training will be conducted, 4) a description of the information to be covered in the task training, and 5) a requirement that the manufacturer’s manual be incorporated into the training. MSHA approved the revised training plan and the mine operator provided the revised task training to all affected miners.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Roof Bolter, Nec

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

UNDERGROUND SHOP/OFFICE

Mining method

Other

Accident type

Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Source of injury

UNDERGRD MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

4 years

Experience at this mine

4 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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