The miner was moving a new wire reel to power the hoist. Miner was using a socket to remove a bolt when the socket slipped and hit the miner in the mouth. The bottom of the miner's two front teeth was chipped off.
Search the record
Every injury and fatality MSHA has on file. Filter by state, year, sector, classification, experience, or any keyword from the investigator's narrative.
- Total incidents
- 273,095
- Of which fatal
- 1,202
- Years on record
- 2000–2026
- Classifications
- 20
Alert me on this search
Email me when a new incident matches these filters. One confirmation email; unsubscribe anytime.
74 matching records
Showing 50 of 74Was Changing support rollers on 57101 Clinker Pan conveyor. Was using standard steel 3lb sledgehammer to drive the rollers into the bracket on the pan. The hammer glanced off the end of the roller and struck the heat-treated flange of the roller causing a shard of steel to break off and lodge in leg. The employee was taken to clinic and released back to work with no restrictions.
Miner was cleaning the tower using a bar and a sledgehammer. Miner hit the bar with a hammer; a piece of metal broke off and flew into the miner's eye.
Miner was replacing rear belt skirting. After removing the old skirting, the miner used it to trace and cut a new piece. As the affected miner was starting to cut the new piece, the knife slipped and embedded itself about an inch into their leg. The miner was taken to urgent care, where they received four stitches just above the knee.
The employee chose a 4-foot pry bar instead of a 6-foot pry bar to open a valve on a silo pump. The employee strained and felt a pop in their shoulder.
On 5/7/2025, an employee was injured while attempting to remove an Easy Skirt from the Feed Belt of Finish Mill #4. The worker was using a pry bar to detach the skirting from its mounting plate. During the task, the bar slipped while being forced downward, and the sharp end punctured the employee's right palm. The injury required medical attention, including three stitches.
The employee was tightening bolts and aligning a motor on a compressor. EE felt fine during EE's shift but felt discomfort 27 hours later, after driving 5 hours on personal time. EE felt discomfort in EE's right rib area. The injury is still under investigation to determine whether it is work-related or not.
An employee sustained an injury to left thumb. The injury occurred when employee was using a pry bar to remove a rock lodged between the conveyor belt and its supporting structure.
Employee lifted a new cutting blade into place on the continuous miner gathering head to weld. A floor jack was used to pressure it into place. The jack extension was side loaded not center loaded causing it to break free, flying out and hitting the employee above the right eye. The extension cut through the right eyebrow onto the eye lid. It required 6 stitches to close it up.
EE was replacing a wheel on the pan conveyor and wheel needed to be realigned to remove. EE hit the wheel with a hammer and a metal piece fractured off the hammer and hit the EE in the chest. EE was taken to urgent care where they were able to remove the metal piece and stitch up the puncture.
Miner was adjusting a belt scraper using an adjustable wrench. The wrench slipped off the scraper with a lot of force and hit the miner in the mouth.
Employee was holding a piece of rebar vertically with left hand to drive into ground. Employee was holding a sledgehammer with their right hand, chocked up to the head. As they were hitting the rebar, they missed and smashed the right index finger between the handle and the top of the rebar.
Miner struck mill liner with sledge hammer. A piece of metal chipped off the liner and struck miner in the right leg just below the knee, embedding itself approximately 2" into the leg.
A softball sized rock broke loose from the screen side opening and fell onto the miner's hand while the miner was barring into the oversize chute resulting in a broken pinky finger.
Miner cut their hand and required stiches.
EE was trying to clear out a port on the tower with a bar. EE hit the material twice and on the third time the material fell from the wall of the riser, the momentum of them pushing caused their finger to get pinched between the tab on the bar and the port on the riser.
EE was barring/removing consolidated material from the #5 Finish Mill Lime-Stone Feeder. The bar slipped causing EE's hand to contact the corner of the feeder. The fingernail was caught and peeled off within EE's glove. EE was treated at an Urgent Care facility where the wound was sutured, cleaned and bandaged. EE returned to work on the next shift without restrictions.
Miner was using a bar to clean buildup inside of preheat tower. A large chunk of material broke free hitting the edge of the bar causing the end that the miner was holding to lurch up pinching EE's index finger against the metal frame of the tower.
Employee was making a gasket with gum rubber and was cutting the pattern with a utility knife on a table in the carpenter shop. When the knife caught on the material and more pressure was applied, the blade came free and went across the glove on the left thumb. Which resulted in employee's thumb being cut requiring 3 stitches.
The employee was pulling on a strap that was wrapped around a cribbing block supporting the belly pan of a piece of equipment.
Employee was using a small sledge hammer to beat material out of bin bottom. At times, employee was swinging in a back handed manner. Felt muscle soreness later in shift. Monday evening employee was feeling numbness/tingling in fingers and zingers in left arm originating at the elbow. Employee was seen by physician and placed on modified work duties.
Swinging sledge hammer to open slide gate.
Employee was using a pry bar to pry out some rocks that got jammed up on the jaw crusher hopper, and when doing so a rock fell onto EE's hand and lacerated EE's left hand ring finger.
Installing a pony belt-drive at a new location. EE was choked up on a sledge hammer tightening a large wedge on top of cribs in the center of the drive, the rib was 30" away. EE swung the sledge striking the wedge, the handle bounced back striking EE's left little finger against the frame of the drive, causing a laceration.
Employee was tightening a flange with adjustable wrenches when one of the wrenches slipped off the bolt and EE's hand hit the valve actuator jarring EE's wrist and hand. EE did not originally report until 1/29/20, at which time EE was sent to urgent care to get looked at and was released with restrictions.
Employee was working in an awkward position in the Feed Shute, swinging a sledge hammer to dislodge a liner when EE felt a sharp, shooting pain in the right shoulder. EE did not report the injury right away as EE thought they were o.k., however EE ended up going to the doctor and started physical therapy on 1/24/2020.
Team was attempting to seat the elevator take up sprockets back into the chain. The take up was stuck and the employee attempted to free it by striking it with a sledgehammer which accidently struck the hardened tooth and a piece broke free penetrating their left thigh. Employee was taken to Concentra and redirected to Urgent Care.
Cutting belt with utility knife, cutting towards self and cut left hand.
Employee caught hand in the wing pulley while prying a rock out that was entangled between the belt and the pulley. The belt moved backward when the rock was removed due to not having a backstop. The employees ring finger was partially amputated and the pinky finger reconstructed.
Employee was removing the bolt on a loader when the bolt made contact with the employees finger causing a laceration that required 9 stitches to close.
Employee was swinging a twelve pound sledge hammer to get rebar into position. The employee had hands choked up on the handle near the head of the hammer. When the employee swung the hammer, ee missed the rebar striking the rebar with finger between the handle and rebar causing a broken finger bone and a small laceration.
Utilizing a bar to tighten clamps between pump and bottom of silo. When employee let up on the bar the clamp snapped and bar hit chin.
Employee was using a box knife for non-task related reasons. As employee was trying to cut away a zipper out of jacket with the box knife, it slipped and cut finger.
Employee was sweeping and backed up and hit EE's elbow on the stairway. Talked with a nurse but did not seek medical attention until 3/13/2018. An MRI was schedule and medical release was given on 3/28/2018. Employee will be required to wear a splint while working EE's regular job.
Employee was installing the Christmas star and the wrench slipped and hit ee on the forehead causing a cut.
EE was removing mill liners, with a large hammer, and a piece of metal struck EE in the lower left calf muscle causing a first aid. EE said they were ok. That night when at home the EE called supervisor about 9 PM and said they would like to see a doctor, supervisor transported EE to Rapid City SD. Hospital for treatment. The doctor released EE to work next shift.
While work on #2 Coal Mill using chain hoist to pull motors back in place to tighten belts EE picked up the chain hoist and pulled on it. The chain flew toward EE's right foot and the chain hook struck right behind the steal toe and injured EE's foot little toe.
While cleaning probe, employee tried to hold the probe in position but other employee hit injured employee's ring finger with the sledge hammer.
Employee was using a digging bar to clear a chute that was plugged. His middle finger was caught between the digging bar and a piece of metal part of the chute and caused my finger to break open in two places.
I went to cut back the North side skirting with the scissors and was not able to do it. I needed my left hand to cut the skirting. The pain in my right wrist was too bad.
Changing an air cylinder on the west load out for the trucks, the cylinder was off but when trying to line up the cylinder with the slide with a wrench, the cylinder shot forward and pinched my left hand causing a deep cut.
This is a re-occurance of a previous injury. Employee had been released to return to full duty. Employee was tightening a bolt with a wrench and felt a sharp pain in his left elbow. When he went to lift the blade, he felt a severe sharp pain in the left elbow. Employee has been on restricted duty since July 3, 2015, but has been at work doing light duty.
Helping to uncoupling the drill steel with a pipe wrench. The pipe was rotated before I was able to get my hand out of the way. Smashed my finger between the pipe and wrench.
Employee was helping to repair a miner cable when he cut his left leg with a utility knife.
Employee states he was changing tools on the excavator. He was using a wrench to release the tools. Wrench slipped and off the head of the bolt and his right hand hit the boom of the excavator.
Employee sprained his left wrist while using a sledge hammer for a starvation on #22 gyp feeder. He was put on restrictions 10/6/14.
Employee was using a knife and cut right leg above knee, requiring 4 stitches.
Employee was performing a splice on the shuttle car cable when the utility knife he was using contacted his left index finger causing a laceration requiring stitches.
Moving the fan wheel with pipe and caught hand between handrail and pipe and pinched it.
Pipe wrench slipped off the stuck roller on the chain. Employee jerked back and felt a pop and instant pain.