All MSHA-reportable accidents at Intrepid Potash-New Mexico, LLC operations in 2007. Fatalities appear first.
One of the trailing ropes on the skip broke and damaged the other two ropes. The loose rope may have damaged a guide rail beyond the travel range of the skips. The damaged guide was removed, all trailing ropes replaced, tail rope switch repaired, loose guide tightened, structured inspected before release for operation.
Employee was a passenger on a vehicle and he stepped off the vehicle to open an air door. While walking to the door he twisted his right knee as he stepped on some uneven floor. EE reported on 10/30/2007 but declined medical treatment until 1/15/2008.
Employee was walking backwards to move away from the bolter stepped on rock and felt pain in right foot.
The production crew was using the roof bolter to pull the miner cable back. The employee activated the tram control in the wrong direction causing the roof bolter to twist. He caught his right leg against the transformer resulting in non-displaced fracture of the tibia.
Employee was positioning bolter and set stabilizer. Bolter moved unexpectedly, because of uneven floor, struck left knee. Employee was released for full duty-7/27/07 Restrictions added. No lost time work days prior to 8/3/07
Employee was driving 176 ram car with a load going to the feeder when the articulation broke. The sudden stop caused the employee to strike his shoulder against the inside surface of the cab.
EE was driving down S400 belt line looking for wood blocks. While looking to the left side of the room, he drove up onto a heaved floor and either struck his head or was struck by something causing a laceration. Stitches were required and missed workdays started on 3/11/07.
Employee came down stairs, when he reached ground level, he turned to go to maintenance truck and stepped into a crack in the floor pad with the outside of his foot and twisted his right ankle.
EE was swinging a 20lb hammer to loosen up some ore that was hung up on the ore pocket. While doing so, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder.
Employyee was cutting conveyor belt for splice and was making his final cutting pass. His leg had been out of line of fire but had five inches to six inches left when he shifted his body position that put his leg in the line of fire. The knife slipped off of the conveyor belt and he cut himself above the right knee.
Employee walked into hot water, stepped into a hole and hot water entered his boot 2nd degree burns on his left ankle.
Employee was lifting a boulder out of the way of the intersection, and felt pain in his lower back.
He was up on a platform, getting a measurement for pipe to be replaced. There was a small stream of water coming out of nipple. He placed a sheet of plastic over the pipe to cover the stream. Nipple broke and the stream of hot brine struck him in the chest. It knocked him off of the platform. He suffered 2nd degree burns to back and right of his neck and 2 hair line rib fractures.
Employee was pulling on a hose that was buried in a pile of potash and felt a sharp pain in the lower left side of his back.
Employee was installing an ore scalping screen. As the screen was put into place, he felt a pop in his right elbow
Employee was attempting to chock the wheel under ram car #163 when he smashed his left ring finger tip between the block and the frame of the ram car, resulting in a broken finger tip and a small laceration approximatly a half inch long on the inside of his finger tip.
While switching out a rope on a skip, the employee was working on the 3rd thimble. There was mechanics wire tied between the rope and thimble. While under pressure, the mechanics wire broke causing the the bar the employee was holding to smash him between the bar and other linkage fracturing his right wrist.
Employee was changing v-belts on #1 compactor. He was using a pipe wrench to turn pulley while belts were installed. Gear box released pressure and employee's right little finger was caught between pipe wrench and gear box guard. His finger required 5 stiches and a fracture was found.
Employee was running 71 car in low back and hit his head.
Employee was hitting the lower B chute gate with a hammer when he hit his right ring finger on a eye that was welded on the chute braking the tip of his finger.
The employee was in the process of loading a railcar, he had just finished loading on end of the car. He was in the process of changing loading ends,he went to retrieve the safety lanyard on the southeast end of the car. Lost his balance and fell to the ground.
While troubleshooting pump, Mechanic contacted drive belts for #3 Centrate pump. Lacerations required stitches, x-rays revealed 2 fractures.
EE was leaving control room at end of shift with large bag of trash and personal items in his hands. While descending steps, his foot rolled forward losing his balance and falling to the midway landing. Initial Dr. Visit on 1-31-07. No restrictions given. Restricted duty at follow-up visit on 2-16-07. Misc Mail 10/9/07 #15-9/11/07 with restrict days 87.
Witness was driving 007 tom car out of the work area and employee was the passenger. He encountered some dust by drive section of 150 and continued to drive thru it but missjudged the turn off and hit a piller block. Employee hit his right knee on the front frame of the passenger seat, causing a laceration to his knee. Required stitches, no lost time, no restrictions.
Employee reports that he slipped and fell on the loadout stairway and injured left knee possible connective tissue damage. Employee notified management on 8/27/2007.
Employee was pushing a transformer with a Getman utility vehicle. As he was using the front of the vehicle to do so he had his right foot positioned outside the cab. While pushing, the vehicle slipped off the transformer causing the vehicle to drive up next to the transformer pinching his right small toe between the vehicle and transformer.
The employee was helping with a belt splice and was located at the tail pulley end of the belt. The employee was needed at the splice area, he crossed under the special standard lang feeder platform (approximately 5' from ground) raised up prior clearing the platform and struck the structure with his forehead.
Hot thickner pump had plugged and the employee was in the process of disassembling the pump to clear debris from the impellor. The pump had been blocked both at inlet and discharge, the isolated area had been drain and flushed repeatedly. However, material buildup in the isolated area rushed out unexpectedly, burned the employee's hand and a small spot on the neck.
While removing bolts from a flange, co-worker's wrench slipped off bolt striking employee in the mouth. He was holding the back up wrench. Stitches were required in upper lip.
Employee reports pain in neck and back. This occurred over a long period of time, possibly from lifting battery lids, batteries, rough roadways or other difficult lifts or a combination thereof. No specific date or time of injury. Turned in 2-12-07. Taken to doctor. Cortisone injection received 2-16-07.