Miner fatality at Galena (U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc.), ID, April 11, 2023
On April 11, 2023, a miner was fatally injured in a fall of roof or back accident at Galena (U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc.), ID.
Miner was working in the 3200-033 raise. EE was bolting the hanging wall. A large wedge slipped off the wall and pinned the Miner to the foot wall causing fatal crushing injuries.
On April 11, 2023, at approximately 10:35 a.m., Blaik Nutting, a 26 year-old stope miner with over five years of experience, died when a 20 to 25-ton rock from the hanging wall fell and struck him. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) design, install, and maintain ground support to control the ground in places where miners work or travel to perform their assigned tasks, and 2) conduct adequate ground condition examinations in areas where work was to be performed.
-
The mine operator did not design, install, and maintain ground support to control the ground in places where miners work or travel to perform their assigned tasks.
Corrective action: The mine operator updated the ground control plan to include ground support in narrow stope mining. The revised ground control plan contains additional information about proper installation, spacing, and maintenance of ground support bolts and stulls. The mine operator revised their training plan and trained miners on these changes.
-
The mine operator did not conduct adequate ground condition examinations and testing in areas where work was to be performed.
Corrective action: The mine operator retrained their designated persons on what constitutes proper and thorough ground condition examinations and testing.
Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.
- Activity at time of incident
- Roof Bolter, Nec
- Subunit / location
- UNDERGROUND
- Underground location
- VERTICAL SHAFT
- Mining method
- Conventional Stoping
- Accident type
- Struck by falling object
- Source of injury
- CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE
- Nature of injury
- CRUSHING
- Body part affected
- TRUNK, MULTIPLE PARTS
- Total mining experience
- 5 years
- Experience at this mine
- 5 years
- Experience in this job
- 2 years
- Degree of injury
- FATALITY
Related fatalities
Same operator
- June 18, 2010 · Ledgeman/Hand · U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc., ID
- June 5, 2001 · Stoper Miner · U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc., ID
- June 5, 2001 · Stoper Miner · U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc., ID
Same classification
- April 2, 2026 · Shuttle Car Operator · Marfork Coal Company, WV
- September 2, 2025 · Blaster · Heidelberg Materials Northeast LLC, PA
- July 12, 2025 · Scoop Tram Operator · Nyrstar Tennessee Mines, Strawberry Plains LLC, TN
- September 25, 2024 · Continuous Miner Operator · Crimson Oak Grove Resources LLC, AL
- September 6, 2024 · Continuous Miner Operator · Mingo Logan Coal LLC, WV
Same year
- December 14, 2023 · Miner · Staker & Parson Companies, UT
- December 14, 2023 · Maintenance Man · Bison Materials LLC, OK
- November 17, 2023 · Maintenance Man · Eden Stone Co., LLC, WI
- November 13, 2023 · Miner · Stillwater Mining Company, MT
- November 13, 2023 · Rotary Bucket Excavator Operator · KaMin LLC, GA
Every record on this page mirrors what MSHA publishes under its Open Government Data program, refreshed weekly. MSHA does not publish per-accident URLs (the Accidents data is distributed as a single bulk file), so this is how to retrieve the source for the specific record below:
- Final investigation report: Read MSHA's final report
-
Accident record:
Download MSHA Accidents.zip
then search for Document number
220231070004(the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1) -
Mine record:
MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System
and search by Mine ID
1000082 - All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.