Miner

An employee on the ground level retrieved the tool and climbed 1 to 2 rungs of the ladder to hand the tool to the employee above. The employee appeared to lose consciousness and fell. The witnesses indicated that it appeared the victim was breathing. At 12:01pm, US Silica was informed that the victim had a heart attack and while at the hospital the employee died.

Daniel J. Pabian, Contract Maintenance Repairman, age 58, was fatally injured at Pabian Enterprises LLC’s Ottawa Plant on November 26, 2014. Pabian was assisting in the installation of an overhead electric hoist. The accident occurred when the victim fell from a ladder, striking a steel guard to the water pump drive belts and sheave, and then continued to fall onto the cement floor below. The ladder being used was a 12-foot portable step ladder erected on a level cement floor. The victim fell from the lower rungs of the ladder. On April 20, 2015, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) referred the accident to the Chargeability Review Committee (CRC). On July 14, 2015, the CRC determined that this death should be charged to the mining industry. The death certificate and autopsy report both indicated that the manner of death was accidental and the cause of death was a cervical spinal fracture due to a fall from a ladder.

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

Activity at time of incident

Climb Scaffolds, Ladders

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Fall from ladders

Source of injury

FLOOR,WALKING SURF-NOT UG

Nature of injury

FRACTURE,CHIP

Body part affected

NECK

Total mining experience

22 years

Experience at this mine

2 years

Experience in this job

20 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY