Rotary Bucket Excavator Operator fatality

May 1, 2025 at 9:18 AM

Signal Peak Silica of Atascosa · SP Silica of Atascosa, LLC · Atascosa County, TX

Investigator narrative

EE was operating an excavator in Pit 2 at SPS Atascosa. Pit 2 is located between two tailings ponds. 9:18 AM one of the tailings ponds breached causing tailings mixture to flow into the work site. Tailings mixture tipped over the excavator EE was operating cab side down. The front window broke, tailings mixture engulfed the cab & 75% of the vehicle. Employee could not escape.

Record details

Classification: FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Accident type: Struck by rolling or sliding object
Activity at time: Power Shovel, Dragline
Subunit / location: STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT
Source of injury: BROKEN ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE
Nature of injury: UNCLASSIFIED,NOT DETERMED
Total mining experience: 2.5 years
Experience at this mine: 2.5 years
Experience in this job: 2.5 years
Mine type: Surface
Sector: Metal/Nonmetal

Similar incidents in MSHA records· same classification: FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS

March 3, 2026 · North American Silica Sand, LLC · TX · Cement Worker, Concrete Worker, Form Man, Mandoseal Man
Unsure of what conditions contributed to the death
January 3, 2025 · WES AGG, LLC · TX · Utility Man, Shift Tech, Service/Dump Truck Operator
Trench was dug to repair drain pipe. No sloping or shoring protection system was in place. Trench was approximately 10 foot deep and 8 foot wide. Side wall collapsed and crushed worker.
August 5, 2023 · Savannah Valley Quarries, LLC · GA · Ledgeman/Hand, Quarry Man
The crew had drilled a chain hole and connected a chain to lift the block a short distance to break away from the ledge. When this occurred, grout rock remaining on the ledge above to miners broke loose and fell striking both of them, fatally injuring one and seriously injuring the second miner. The grout rock was…