Maintenance Man

Contractor suffered fatal injuries while performing maintenance on "Dutchman" of electric shovel bucket. Fatal injuries resulted from being pinned between shovel bucket door and bucket.

On August 23, 2022, at 1:57 a.m., David Warren III, a 24 year-old mechanic with three years of mining experience, died from injuries he sustained when the 13-ton steel dipper door he was working on closed, crushing him between the dipper door and the edge of the dipper. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) adequately block the dipper door from motion before miners performed repairs, and 2) task train miners to adequately block the door before performing repairs on the dipper.

1. The mine operator did not adequately block the dipper door from motion before miners performed repairs.

   Corrective action: The mine operator replaced the dipper involved in the accident with one that does not require opening the dipper door to access the latch bar. All other dippers at the mine also do not require opening the dipper door to access the latch bar. If a maintenance task requires opening and blocking the door, the mine operator developed a new written standard operating procedure with a double-blocking system. The system uses two engineer-certified blocks, a primary block and a redundant secondary block. The primary block is aluminum, and the secondary block is red oak with metal framing, which rests on the ground. The primary and secondary blocks will be attached to a chain welded to the dipper door on each side of the door. A come-a-long (a wire rope hand ratchet puller) will be used to make sure the secondary block rests on the ground. The mine operator trained all miners who will perform and supervise this task on the new standard operating procedure.

2. The mine operator did not task train miners to adequately block the door before performing the repair on the dipper.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised their training plan to ensure that miners who will perform or supervise maintenance tasks on an open dipper door will be task trained on the new written standard operating procedure.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Machine Maintenance

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

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

Source of injury

SURFACE MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

HIPS (PELVIS/ORGANS/KIDNEYS/BUTTOCKS)

Total mining experience

3 years

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

3 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY