Dryer Operator

The employee was pressure washing silo #6 and was found with their head and right arm in the silo with salt buildup on their head and right arm. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene.

On November 22, 2025, between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Martin Delgado, a 60-year-old plant operator with over 27 years of mining experience, died after he was engulfed by material at the Silo No. 6 access door. Delgado was in the process of cleaning and clearing a blockage in the silo. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not equip Silo No. 6 with effective means of handling materials to prevent the plant operator from being required to enter or work where he was exposed to entrapment by caving or sliding materials.

1. The mine operator did not equip Silo No. 6 with effective means of handling material to prevent the plant operator from being required to enter or work where he was exposed to entrapment by caving or sliding materials.

   Corrective action: The mine operator sealed all silo access doors by welding and cut vents in the tops of the silos to wash out remaining salt with water hoses. The mine operator developed and implemented a written procedure to use the vents when cleaning and clearing blockages from the silos.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Unknown

Subunit / location

MILL OPERATION/PREPARATION PLANT

Accident type

Struck by falling object

Source of injury

MINERAL ITEMS,(Not Elsewhere Classified)

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

27 years

Experience at this mine

27 years

Experience in this job

11 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY