Maintenance Man

While preparing to perform side frame/track repairs on a 4100A shovel. When the relief valve was ejected from the jack. Employee was struck by a pressure relief valve in the lower left abdominal/waist area. The injury resulted in the death of the employee.

Timothy Rivers, a 35-year-old contractor with one year of experience, died on March 6, 2019 at 11:32 a.m., after being struck by a relief valve from a 500-ton hydraulic bottle jack (bottle jack). As Rivers attempted to raise an electric shovel, the hydraulic pressure ejected the relief valve from 1 of 4 bottle jacks. The accident occurred because the contractor did not ensure that the bottle jack was maintained in operable condition.

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

Activity at time of incident

Machine Maintenance

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck by flying object

Source of injury

METAL,(Not Elsewhere Classified)(PIPE,WIRE,NAIL)

Nature of injury

CUT,LACER,PUNCT-OPN WOUND

Body part affected

ABDOMEN/INTERNAL ORGANS

Total mining experience

1 year

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY