Electrician

A loader bucket on a CAT R3000H came down and crushed an employee while in use, resulting in a fatality. The injured employee was operating a UTV (gator) in Unit 43 near the feeder breaker (Stamler) when the incident occurred. This incident is still under investigation.

On November 27, 2024, at 5:40 p.m., Grzegorz Sychla, a 58-year-old electrician with over ten years of mining experience, died after being struck by an underground Load Haul Dump (LHD) loader. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not place signs or signals that warn of hazardous conditions at appropriate locations.

1. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not place signs or signals that warn of hazardous conditions at appropriate locations.

   Corrective action: The mine operator developed and implemented a new written procedure that requires placards to be placed on the entrance to the units and on the placard board that indicate to all miners that an LHD loader is operating in an area and whether authorization is required to enter the unit. Additionally, the mine operator updated the traffic control policy to prohibit any devices or items that could cause a distraction inside the equipment operator’s compartment. The mine operator trained all miners on these procedures.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Utility Truck, Water Trucks

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

FACE

Mining method

Conventional Stoping

Accident type

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Source of injury

MINE JEEP,KERSEY,JITNEY

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

10 years

Experience at this mine

10 years

Experience in this job

17 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY