Empire Iron Mining PartnershipMining Incidents in 2007

Employee was working in the pocket. When he was coming down in the elevator, the elevator stopped between floors. He was in there approximately 40 minutes. He was fine and was not injured.

Burned hand with plasma cutter. Burn later became infected, resulting in loss time.

While lifting ring on the crane hook - his right hand slipped and all of the weight went to his left arm. Employee received OT.

While backing up 4838 cart, looking over his shoulder - heel of left foot caught on pipe handle attached to bandsaw twisting his ankle. Seen by physician and off of work.

There was a mechanical failure of the boom on a boom truck. The boom broke away from its base and struck the employee resulting in lost time.

Employee was assisting in aligning a shroud and ripper shank in order to insert the pins. In the process of pushing the shroud against the ripper shank, he got his left thumb caught between the shroud and the ripper shank. This resulted in a fracture of his left thumb and the physician took him off of work for 1 day.

A hatch on the operating floor was removed to access a motor. Employee walked into the opening and fell to the floor below resulting in a loss time accident.

PMCI employee & a Mill person were standing inside a fan housing, pushing up on the fan to rotate the fan. The fan started to move & injured's head got between the fan and the side of the housing. The other 2 people immediately stopped the fan rotation and pushed down freeing his head. His ear was cut and required stitches.

Employee was lifting a ladder down from a rack and twisted the wrong way and felt a pull in his back. He was evaluated on 5/2/07 and was taken off of work.

Employee was removing a pump case with a hoist, when he turned and felt something pop in his knee. He had surgery on 5/29/07 resulting in a loss time.

Employee was working at Unit 2 Kiln cooler dump point. While they were observing pellets in the cooler from the area of the access doors, a blast of hot dust and steam from inside the cooler knocked open the steel doors and pushed the employee backwards. The hot dust contacted him causing first and second degree burns to his head and neck area resulting in loss time.

Employee was lying on back while changing rollers. As he was in the process of sliding the roller from under the conveyor belt he experienced pain in his abdomen. He sought treatment and was diagnosed with a hernia on 2/28/07.

Pinched finger while lifting two halves of temporary support (basement jack).

Employee cut left index finger when opening plastic packaging with a knife. Went to ER and received 3 stitches.

Employee cut leg while removing wiring insulation.

Looked up when overhead work was being completed and debris fell into eye.

Employee caught his foot on the raised pedestal base of a shovel cab and tripped and fell, striking his teeth. Employee seen by dentist for repair of teeth.

Employee became ""jostled"" in the cab of an SL80 while doing road repair. PT initiated 1/22/08. Second visit 1/25/08.

While spraying primer on the floor, employee got substance splashed into eye.

While removing wheel retaining nuts, he cut his arm on a burr on the edge of the rim.

Employee was installing shims on a cyclone pump barrel. While using a 5"" pry bar to lift the barrel he felt pain in his rib area. Was evaluated by a physician and was diagnosed to have a rib fracture.

While attempting to free a stuck scraper in a chute, the scraper let loose hitting him in the mouth. Dental restoration was done on 9/19/2007.

Employee was removing a make up water valve. He struck his left thumb with a ball pean hammer - pinching his thumb between the hammer and the vertical piping for the washdown trays. He was evaluated by a physician - had an open fracture to his left thumb.

Employee was descending a catwalk. His foot slipped at the end of the catwalk and he fell onto his knee. He was treated for a small cut and bruise. On 3/28/07 he sought further treatment for a suspected soft tissue infection. He was prescribed antibiotics.

Employee was welding on a corner bit for a grader blade. The edge was on the work bench standing up. The edge blade began to fall and employee tried to catch it jamming his finger against the edge. He suffered a fracture of the finger.

The rock spreader had chunks blocking the feed chute. The employee was barring to unplug the chute when a chunk fell on the bar and caught his hand between the bar and the feed chute. He suffered a chipped bone in his hand.

The bottom of a pallet (being moved) caught a channel and caused it to pivot. The channel swung around and hit the employee in the right calf. He received sutures.

Employee was installing crosser pipe. He was putting a block under the pipe when his finger got pinched between the pipe and a wood block. He was evaluated at the ER and received stitches.

Employee was putting the suction sump plate in place when his fingers were caught between. He received stitches.

Upon health screening, it was made known on 10/04/07 that employee was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis.

It was made known on 10/04/07 that employee has evidence of exposure to asbestos.

Employee has a hearing loss of 28.7 STS in his right ear.

Employee complained of discomfort in her hands related to her work activities. She was evaluated by a physician and diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. It was determined on 8/8/07 that it was occupationally related.

Employee complained of soreness in bilateral elbows aggravated by recent extensive hammering. He was treated and diagnosed with bilateral epicondylitis. On 3/8/07 it was determined to be occupationally related.

Employee was found unresponsive on the floor in the pellet plant control room. Employee deceased from an apparent non-occupational illness/injury.