Maintenance Man

EE shut down crushing plant to remove a drill bit stuck in the jaw crusher. He was using a torch to cut off drill bit when the bit flew up into his chest & face. He was hospitalized and died on 1/17/15.

On November 10, 2014, Carl A. Hixon, Crusher Operator, age 45, was using a torch to cut a drill bit wedged in a jaw crusher, when the bit released and struck him. Hixon was hospitalized and died on January 17, 2015, as a result of his injuries. The accident occurred due to management’s failure to establish and implement policies and procedures to safely clear a jaw crusher. The jaw crusher was not blocked against hazardous motion to protect miners from flying/falling materials resulting from its movement. Hixon did not receive task training on safe work procedures for clearing or dislodging material in a jaw crusher. Specifically, he was not trained on the potential hazards resulting from a sudden release of stored energy from a jammed crusher.

1. Management failed to establish policies or procedures to protect miners from hazardous motion of the jaw crusher components or objects stuck in the jaw crusher.

   Corrective action: Management established policies and procedures to ensure that miners would not enter the jaw crusher to free any jammed material or objects and trained miners on these procedures. The onsite Kobelco SK400 excavator, equipped with a 10,000 pound hammer, will be used to dislodge any items that become wedged through the crusher plates.

2. Management failed to task train miners on safe procedures for dislodging objects stuck in the jaw crusher, and hazards resulting from a sudden release of stored energy from a jammed crusher.

   Corrective action: Management has revised their Part 46 training plan to include task training for all miners on safe procedures for dislodging objects stuck in the jaw crusher, including the hazards resulting from a sudden release of stored energy from a jammed crusher. All miners were trained according to the revised plan.

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

Activity at time of incident

Welding Or Cutting

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck by falling object

Source of injury

DRILL STEEL (ALL SIZES)

Nature of injury

UNCLASSIFIED,NOT DETERMED

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

3 years

Experience at this mine

3 years

Experience in this job

3 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY