Mining Incidents

Wyoming mining incidents

Every reportable accident on file with MSHA at a Wyoming mine. Operators below are ranked by recorded fatality count in this state alone.

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Fatalities recorded
20
Total incidents
7,215
Most recent fatality
2021

Top operators in Wyoming by fatality count

  1. 01Black Hills Energy1fatal

Recent fatalities in Wyoming

Struck by falling object

A Millwright drove the pins out of a 200-ton crane boom to change out a section and the boom fell on employee.

Struck by falling object

On September 28, 2017, employee was helping in the roof bolting activities on the longwall face. During this activity, coal came from the longwall face fatally injuring the employee.

Struck against a moving object

Details & conditions are currently under investigation.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Miner suffered a fatal injury after being pinned underneath the raised cover of a Metso Lokotrack crusher.

Struck against a moving object

Employee was building drill bench, pushed thru the berm at the edge of the highwall and traveled over the highwall.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

The technician was assisting in moving a 2800 P&H shovel when the machine lost propel capabilities. The machine then rolled in reverse striking the pickup driven by the technician causing fatal injuries.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Drill crew was attempting to back off a stuck drill pipe. A wire rope snub line was used to secure the worm tong. The snub line failed and the tong struck the employee resulting in fatal injuries.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee received fatal crushing injuries while operating haul truck, parked in line waiting to be loaded at the shovel. The employee exited the cab and was standing behind the cab, between the cab and air receiver tank when the truck in front started to move in reverse, pinning the employee.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

A Sein Brute 612 mantrip carrying two miners was traveling at 38-39 xc, 592 S.Longwall Panel 3 Road (1 Room). A mechanical failure within the steering mechanism resulted in the over-turning of the mantrip. A miner was pinned under the mantrip resulting in fatal injuries. The other was ejected, sustaining injuries. The company is investigating this incident with MSHA.

Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

While installing structural steel doors over coal bin EE went around safety rail without using fall protection on the door which was still attached to the crane to try to move the door & close a gap between the doors. The door shifted causing a support I-beam to move shifting the doors which caused him to fall. MSHA was notified 12/27/05 that he had expired from his injuries.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE WAS ASSEMBLING CONTINUOUS MINER(CM04) IN UPPER BED REBUILD MAINTENANCE SHOP. CREW HAD JUST COMPLETED INSTALLATION OF RIGHT HAND CUTTING HEAD MOTOR. OTHER EE OPERATING EIMCO 913 #4 WAS TRAMMING BACKWARD UP NORTH SHOP ACCESS ROAD. OTHER EE TURNED EIMCO OFF TO COMMUNICATE W/SUPERVISOR, EIMCO ROLLED FORWARD, PINNING EE BETWEEN EIMCO FORKS AND CUTTING MOTOR.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE FIRST HALFPASS, THE VICTIM EXITED THE BOLTER COMPARTMENT AND WAS THEN PINCHED BETWEEN THE MINER TAIL AND THE RIB. ACCIDENT RESULTED IN DEATH TO THE EMPLOYEE.

Struck by flying object

VICTIM'S 3/4 TON PICK-UP TRUCK WAS PULLING SHOVEL TRAILING CABLE AND HAD BECOME STUCK OR THERE WAS LOSS OF TRACTION; THERE WAS A 2ND PICK-UP HOOKED UP TO THE 1ST TRUCK WITH A 1""NYLON ROPE. TH E ROPE WAS PLACED ON A HOOK WHILE TOWING; THE HOOK ON THE TOWING TRUCK FAILED CAUSING THE HOOK TO SLINGSHOT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE TOWED TRUCK, STRIKING THE VICTIM.

Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

AFTER OVERSEEING THE ACTIVITIES OF CONTRACTORS WORKING ON THE BELT 614 LEVEL, EMPLOYEE LEFT AND WENT UP THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO THE 612 BELT LEVEL WHERE THE ELEVATOR TO THE SURFACE WAS LOCA TED. WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO OF LEAVING, HE FELL THROUGH A 4X4 OPENING THAT HAD BEEN USED TO LOWER PARTS. THE HOLE HAD FLAGGING AT ALL ENTRIES AT LEAST 4' FROM THE EDGE. HE FELL 19' TO THE BEL

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

RAILCAR WAS POSITIONED IN THE EAST END OF NO. 12 TRACK CREATING A CLOSE CLEARANCE. THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO ALLOW AN EE RIDING ON THE SIDE OF RAILCAR TO PASS BY ANOTHER RAILCAR. T HE RAILCAR WAS BEING SHOVED THROUGH THE CROSSOVER TRACK LEADING TO THE COLD ASH SPOT.

Struck by falling object

EE WAS CLEANING UP AROUND THE 8 SHOVEL. EYEWITNESS SAYS ""A LARGE ROCK CAME DOWN AND HIT THE 86 DIRECTLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROPS...SMASHING THE CAB."" EE WAS KILLED INSTANTANEOUSLY BY THE IMPACT ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY CORONER.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

MECHANICAL BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING FROM AN ENGINE STALL CAUSED THE 966C FRONT-END LOADER TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE STOCKPILE RAMP INTO THE VICTIM AND HIS 2001 DODGE PICK-UP. THIS CAUSED THE V ICTIM TO BE CAUGHT BETWEEN THE TWO VEHICLES RESULTING IN FATAL INTERNAL INJURIES. OUR INVESTIGATION IS STILL PENDING ON WHAT CAUSED ANY BRAKE FAILURE.

Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

EMPLOYEE APPARENTLY CLIMBED UP ON THE FRAME WORKOF #17-81 CONE CRUSHER FRAME. NO ONE SAW THE ACCIDENT BUT A SHOVEL WAS FOUND BY THE BODY IN THE CONE FEED BELT, AND THE VICTIM WAS FOUND IN THE TENSION PULLEY FOR THE UNDERCONE CONVEYER BELT. IT APPEARS THAT HE LOST HIS BALANCE OR TRIPPED AND FELL INTO THE MOVING BELT.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE CHANGING A TRACK ON A DOZER, THE CHAIN HOOK SLIPPED OFF THE BOGIE & STRUCK THE EE IN THE HEAD AREA RESULTING INS SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA TO THEHEAD AREA. THE EE WAS TRASNPORTED TO THE UNIVERS ITY OF UTAH MED CTR. EE PASSED AWAY 9/25 AS A RESULT OF THE INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THIS ACCIDENT.

Struck against stationary object

EE CRESTED PIT 10-RAMP 2 DIVIDE, HEADING SOUTH DOWN-GRADE TO THE COAL PLANT. WHEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE TRUCK VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFTAT AT THE RAMP JUNCTION. THE TRUCK RAN THRU THE BERM, ABOVE THE OLD PIT 10 READY LINE, WHERE THEOPERATOR WAS EJECTED FROM THE TRUCK

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) accident records, kept current weekly. State assignment uses MSHA's FIPS state code on the accident record.