All MSHA-reportable accidents at Compass Minerals Louisiana Inc. operations in 2021. Fatalities appear first.
14' Hoist system tripped during routine pre-shift check by hoist operator which prevented the hoist from operating in automatic mode. Continued operating hoist in manual mode. A defective control card was replaced correcting the issue.
On 4-13-2021 a lightning storm moved through our area and tripped service power on the mainland. The emergency generator was started. The shaft that the emergency generator powers was down due to construction at the 1300ft. level. Employees were sheltered in place until power was restored.
The power cable for the bell signal system in the #3 shaft and ""men working in shaft"" signal light was snagged by one of the skips. The power cable parted and fell down the shaft becoming tangled around control equipment at the bottom of shaft casuing the hoist to trip.
The 16 ft. hoist went down with fault codes creating an electrical issue on the North skip. Two other hoists are operational. No personnel were injured. The mine was not evacuated. Submission #2941180 reported the same issue.
Sensors which verify that the friction hoist rope drum, hoist motors, and head sheave are all functioning properly stopped communicating. When they lose communication with one another, the control system ""senses"" a fault which causes the hoist to ""trip"".
A swivel connecting a balance rope to the bottom of one of the ore skips failed. The balance rope became separated from the ore skip and fell down the #3 shaft. This rope became entangled with the balance rope on the second ore skip damaging that rope also. Both ropes and the swivels were replaced.
A brake shoe on the ore hoist in the #3-16' shaft was dragging on the drum during hoist operations. A heat sensor on that brake shoe detected a temperature rise above set limits and stopped the hoist. The incident was called in to MSHA because the response time of a mechanic to investigate the event and adjust the brake was outside of the Part 50.10 reporting time limits.
The control system during start of shift hoist checks. A pneumatic relay on the 16' ore hoist brake control system was responding slowly due to the cold weather. This slow response was detected by a brake system sensor causing the hoist to trip. Overnight temperatures at the site reached the low 30's that night.
The 16 ft hoist is currently down due to brake issues. Troubleshooting is currently taking place, so repairs can be made. There are two other means of egress from the mine and no one was injured as a result of this occurrence.
#3 16'-shaft hoist tripped while conducting safety checks. Electrician checked control system and reset breakers more than 30 minutes after control system hoist tripped necessitating reporting to MSHA per 50.10 as defined in 50.2(h)(11).
On 8-9-2021 an employee was moving items in a storage shed on surface and a bug bit them on the right leg. The employee did not report to work on the following day due to this occurrence. The employee was released to full duty on 8/11/2021.
While blowing air through an airline the hose came out of EE's hand and hit the employee in EE's right eye.
On Mar 8, the EE climbed down the loader ladder, stepped on the ground and EE's foot slipped out from under EE. EE fell, landing on their tailbone. The Dr. at the Clinic determined that EE separated their coccyx but was cleared to return to full duties. On Mar 15, the Dr. place EE on work restrictions that couldn't be accommodated, causing the incident to become a lost time.
A contractor was walking across the parking lot before the start of shift. They tripped and fell. This action resulted in a cut to the right hand that required sutures.
Employee and forklift operator were removing a cable reel off of a floor drill. Once it was removed they placed it on the ground to adjust the lifting straps. The injured employee had EE's hand on the reel as EE signaled to the operator to boom down. This action caught the employee's left index finger between the fork and the reel.