Every injury and fatality MSHA has on file. Filter by state, year, sector, classification, experience, or any keyword from the investigator's narrative.
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While conducting work place inspection smoke was seen coming from the Andeson Coal Seam in Ramp 50 East Pit. Have been experiencing raining conditions. There were no flames seen, only smoke. No miners working in this area.
While spreading rock on a road with a scraper, the machine hit a bump jolting the operator. The bodily motion caused a sprain/strain to EE's shoulder rotator cuff.
While on a break, an employee had symptoms of a serious medical issue not related to work. Approximately 3 hours later, while under the care of EMS, the employee was pronounced deceased.
A haul truck driver sustained an eye injury when dust entered the employee's eye after turning the air conditioning fan on high speed. The employee was evaluated by an eye doctor and prescribed medication. The employee was unable to drive the following shift, making this a lost-time injury.
The employee was working from a work platform, EE was trying to repair a hydraulic leak on a water truck. Another employee was moving the oil cart and struck the bottom of the work platform causing the employee on the work platform to fall.
A Haul truck operator has been diagnosed with a degenerative spine condition. Symptoms are aggravated by activities at work and at home. Progression of the disease is now interfering with the employee's ability to operate equipment. First documentation of the illness was on 1/20/2019; however, treatment did not become reportable until 2/21/2020.
While installing a cable crossing, employee's right foot was caught under the crossing while a Rubber Tire Dozer was pushing it into place. Within approximately 5 minutes the employee's foot was released. Due to the gravity of the injury, the employee underwent a partial amputation of the right foot after being evaluated at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, WY.
The employee was assisting with a shovel move. The employee and three others were preparing to place the cable in the mule when the employee felt a pain and pop in right calf muscle.
Smoke was visualized in West Pit near the east end of ramp 33 in the Anderson seam (this in an inactive work area).No flames were visualized.
Smoke was noted in the West Pit ramp 35 area. The smoke could not be extinguished within 30 minutes so MSHA was notified. Measures were taken to protect employees and a plan was formulated to dump over the fire, but would wait for day shift so trucks dumping would have good visibility. The smoke was extinguished by 10am 09/23/2018.
Employee was drilling a hole in a metal bracket. The drill bit caught on a burr- twisting the employees right hand, resulting in a fracture to the 4th metacarpal of the right hand.
The shovel dipper would not trip so the shovel operator started to swing the dipper back to the dig face, the door opened over the tail of the truck. The bed came up jarring the haul truck driver. EE did have a seat belt on. Employee returned to work the next shift, worked the next 10 scheduled shifts. EE did not work on the scheduled shift 8/2/18 due to stiffness in neck.
While attempting to reposition a small section of chute liner, the liner came to a stop and the mechanics gloved hand slid along the bottom edge. The liner had been worn down to a sharp edge and cut through the employees glove and hand resulting in a 2" laceration. The employee received stitches to repair the laceration.
While moving electric shovel cable, employee was struck by the cable in the left ankle. Employee was watching the cable and the pickup in front of EE when a section of cable contacted the employee from the side resulting in a fracture to the left ankle which required surgery to repair.
While grinding on a weld, employee got a small fleck of metal in left eye. The fleck of metal was not able to be removed on site so the employee was taken to the eye doctor to have it removed. The employee received a full duty unrestricted release back to work, but was prescribed two separate prescription eye drops to aid in the healing process, which makes this case reportable.
Foreign body in right eye.
Employee was using a ratchet to remove a coupling bolt when the socket that was connected slipped off of the nut. This caused the handle of the ratchet to make contact with his bottom lip and the top center tooth resulting in a fracture of the tooth.
On 6/15 another weather system went through the SMA Pit of the Antelope Mine. Miners and equipment were removed from the pit. No miners were trapped or injured. At approximately 9:20pm a call was made to MSHA 800 number to report the inundation of rain water and at 9:45 EE with MSHA called and placed a J-Order on the SMA pit.
While pressing in the master pin on the rail of a Komatsu Excavator the culet in the track press failed. The mechanic was standing behind the track with his hand in the air holding a flash light while directing the press operation when he was struck in the right middle finger by a culet fragment.
On 6/3 a weather system went through the Antelope Mine. At 8:00PM the SMA pit was evacuated due to lightening. A rain storm followed at 11:00PM. When the shift supervisor went back to the pit to inspect for hazards she noticed that the pit was taking on water. She immediately called the Safety Manager at 2:35AM & the MSHA 800 number to report the inundation of rain water at 2:42AM.
Employee tripped while walking down a flight of stairs. Employee was diagnosed by an Emergency Room physician as having a concussion from hitting his head during the fall, as well as a Distal Bicep Tear which will require surgery.
The employee was preparing a chain come-a-long that was going to be used. While pulling the chain slack, the dead end hook slipped off of a threaded stud. The come-a-long struck the employee in the face which caused the safety glasses that the employee was wearing to contact his left eyebrow. The result was a 2 inch laceration which required stitches.
While putting tools away into the lower drawer of his toolbox, the employee was kneeling down on his left knee. When he was done putting the tools away, the employee simply stood straight up. In doing so the employee felt a sharp pain in his left knee. Upon examination, X-Ray, and MRI it was determine that the employee had sustained a tear in the left meniscus.
Employee was mounting the right hand steer tire on a 24H blade. He bent over to stand the bead seat band up on end. As he began to stand back up straight, the employee felt a sharp pain in his lower back.
While unhooking the D-ring rope from the back deck of the Rubber Tire Dozer, the employee lost his grip on the grab bar and fell approximately 4' to the ground. The employee landed on his left arm when making contact with the ground, and reported pain in his left wrist.
Employee reached up to turn off the overhead mounted air conditioning unit in the Cat rubber tire dozer that he was operating. In doing so he felt and heard a pop in his right shoulder. This was followed by extreme pain.
Employee was pulling on a rope that was attached to a road sign, the employee was trying to place the rope over the ball hitch of his pick up truck so he could move the sign to another part of the mine. As the employee was pulling on the rope trying to get the sign close enough to the ball hitch of the pickup he slipped and his head struck the flat bed pickup.
After completing his shift, the injured miner was walking through the parking lot to get in his car pool. When he passed between two parked cars, he slipped and fell. The fall caused soft tissue injury to the employee's left knee and shoulder. The employee was given first aid treatment but was not able to return to his next scheduled shift on January 2, 2014.
The shop welder was attempting to straighten a metal step on the car body of an excavator. He was using a large pry bar and a propane torch to try and straighten the bent area. As he was applying pressure to the bar it rolled causing him to fall to the ground, when he fell the pry bar he was working with struck his gloved hand against the floor.
A plant mechanic found an employee on the floor and unresponsive. The mechanic called a mine rescues squad member to come check on the unresponsive employee. Rescue measures were initiated, Mayday announced, and unresponsive employee was transported by mine ambulance. County ambulance intercepted the mine ambulance and patient care was transferred to paramedics.
A plant mechanic was standing on the walk way near the belt line assisting with the startup of the belt. As the mechanic turned to walk up the belt line walkway, he felt and heard a "pop" in the calf of his left leg. The mechanic also reported feeling extreme pain at the same time.
employee was assembling a new ladder. during the line up process, he was using a pry bar and a line up bar. another employee was assisting in the process and was using a hammer. when the ladder was struck, the line up bar was jarred loose causing the ladder shift. the end of the employees fingers were cut in the process.
The employee was placing poly pipe over the high wall when the pipe came loose from the chain connecting it to a pickup truck. When the pipe came loose it struck the employee on the ground and knocked him to the ground.
Employee was grinding in a confined space for most of his shift. At the end of the shift he felt a discomfort in his eye before he left the mine site. He did not report this incident until the following day. The hospital could not remove the embedded object and it was removed by an Eye Doctor on 4/1/2013.
Employee was walking on uneven terrain in muddy, wet, slick conditions. He slipped and fell on his hands and knees.
Employee was working on a dozer in the shop, as he climbed off the dozer he felt his right knee lock up. He was unable to straighten his right knee.
Employee was installing a belly pan on a track dozer. When he pulled back on the belly pan trying to get it in to place the belly pan pop up catching his thumb between the belly pan and the hinge on the body of the dozer.
An employee was working in the cab of a haul truck, he exited the cab and descended the ladder. He stepped on the grating on the lower deck platform. The grating moved and he rolled his ankle and fell into the handrail that he was holding onto.
A fuel truck driver was descending a ramp when the truck slid sideways on ice and then overturned. The operator received a laceration to his left elbow that required staples to close.
As the employee placed his safety glasses on, the plastic lens broke in the middle causing the left half to pivot inwards striking the employee's left eye. The style of glasses has a single plastic piece for both the left and right lenses and the bridge. The glasses broke in the center of the bridge. The injury was treated by application of prescription medication in the eye.
The dozer seat back fell off mounting bracket and was lodged down towards floor of operator cab. Operator tried to move it out of his way and return up to dragline pad. Operator had to use force to dislodge seat back to get it out of way, the seat came loose striking operator on upper lip with the mounting bracket.
The employee exited the cab of his haul truck, a strong gust of wind blew off his hard hat and safety glasses. The employee tried to catch his hat and glasses and a second gust of wind knocked the employee off balance, he then fell down the stairs of his haul truck hitting his right arm on the hand rail support causing a break in both bones of the right forearm.
Employee was walking to service truck when another employee unloaded and laid a long pry bar on his shoulder. The end of the pry bar struck the employee walking up from behind in the lower lip causing a laceration that required a doctor to close with glue.
The employee was on the bed of a lowboy assisting in transporting a track dozer. He slipped and fell to the ground. After a few days, he sought medical attention where it was found he had fractured his ankle.
A rubber tire dozer operator was setting at the shovel waiting to do some work. There was a ceiling mounted heater in the cab, with a defusser/guard missing. He reached his right hand into the hole to see if the filter was missing also. The tip of his middle finger contacted the fan and was lacerated. Six sutures were required to close the wound and he was released to full duty.
Mechanic was changing hoist ropes on a P&H 2300 shovel in cramped quarters. When he attempted to pull the bucket end out of the socket, the rope dropped down pinching his middle finger. He sustained a fracture to his fingertip.
A private citizen, non-miner, had a heart attack while getting public coal on our site. The area is in a non-active mining area. The person is not a miner and he was doing a non-mining activity. Our Mine Rescue team transported him to the local hospital and delivered him to Emergency Room personnel. The gentleman, as of this filing, is still living.
An employee was assisting another employee in removing a flange bolt. The wrench slipped on the bolt head causing it to contact the employee's left thumb tip. He received a laceration and fracture to the tip. Sutures were needed to close the wound and a splint was applied. The employee returned to full duty on his next shift.
A plant employee was helping lift an idler back into position on an overland conveyor. When it wouldn't fit, they lowered it back down. One employee dropped his end causing the other employee's finger to be caught between the idler and a railroad tie on the ground. His fingertip was fractured and lacerated. The finger was put in a splint and received 4 sutures.
A shop attendant was securing an access ladder to an engine area after he had washed the area for a PM. He was in the process of pinning the ladder up. He released his grasp on the ladder to grab the pin. The ladder swung down and lacerated his right ear lobe. The laceration required 7 sutures to close the wound.