Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Arkansas

Arkansas has 26 recorded mining fatalities on file with MSHA, across 6,362 reportable incidents (1984–2023).

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

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Fatalities recorded
26
Total incidents
6,362
Fatal rate
0%
Years on record
1984–2023

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 1984 1
  2. 1987 5
  3. 1989 1
  4. 1991 1
  5. 1993 2
  6. 1996 1
  7. 1998 2
  8. 2000 2
  9. 2001 1
  10. 2002 1
  11. 2003 1
  12. 2007 2
  13. 2009 1
  14. 2016 1
  15. 2022 3
  16. 2023 1

Top mines in Arkansas by fatality count

  1. 01 Malvern Minerals Sandstone Quarry South 2fatal
  2. 02 Arkansas Operations Mill 2fatal
  3. 03 Foreman Quarry & Plant 1fatal
  4. 04 US Vanadium, LLC 1fatal
  5. 05 Granite Mountain Quarry #1 1fatal

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 3M Company 2fatal
  2. 02 Malvern Minerals Company 2fatal
  3. 03 APAC-Central, Inc 1fatal
  4. 04 Alcoa World Alumina Llc 1fatal
  5. 05 Almatis Inc 1fatal
  6. 06 Ash Grove Cement Company 1fatal
  7. 07 Atlas Quarries 1fatal
  8. 08 County Line Mine 1fatal
  9. 09 Crystals Unique 1fatal
  10. 10 Hanson Aggregates West Inc 1fatal

Recent fatalities

February 6, 2023 AR · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Rogers Group Inc · Contact with electrical current

An employee operating a Caterpillar 770 haul truck hauling material to repair the road to the stripping area. As the employee dumped the load the bed contacted overhead powerlines. The employee exited the truck to extinguish a fire. Upon returning to the truck EE reached for the handrail. When EE touched the truck, EE was electrocuted.

August 4, 2022 AR · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · MACHINERY
Wooten Sand & Gravel, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was servicing a dozer alone with the machine running & it was somehow put in gear & started moving. Before the employee could get out of the way the machine trapped employee's foot & started pulling employee in between the track & the cab, which led to employee being run over by the machine. This is our best guess as there were no actual witnesses to the event.

June 20, 2022 AR · Metal/Non-Metal driller, highwall operator, highwall drill operator Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
3M Company · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Time of accident: 10:00-11:30 Employee was drilling approximately 5' from the highwall. Drill steel was out of the carousel (cause under investigation). They exited the drill to correct the situation and failed to put on fall protection as per company policy and training requirements. It appears that they tripped/slipped/stumbled and fell over the edge. This resulted in a fatality.

January 26, 2022 AR · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Ouachita Rock, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE was operating a loader at our pit. A co-worker was in a dump truck & was there to get loaded with but was having trouble with the air in the truck. The co-worker radioed to EE to go ahead and load another truck. EE returned from loading another truck and crawled underneath the co-worker's truck without telling the co-worker. The truck then rolled back on top of EE.

June 27, 2016 AR · Metal/Non-Metal superintendent Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Atlas Quarries · Struck against a moving object

A Cat D250E haul truck was positioning to dump a load of material. The employee stopped three times before going backwards over the highwall.

September 15, 2009 AR · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Ozark Premium Sand LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

The victim was attempting to deliver an overnite package. She got out of her truck, began walking toward the loader as the operator was backing in her direction to take delivery at the truck as usual. She had never left the truck before. She walked in the blind side(left rear)of the loader and was not seen. She was struck & run over by both left side tires causing fatal injuries.

October 22, 2007 AR · Metal/Non-Metal car dropper, car shake out operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
McGeorge Contracting Company Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

The locomotive was coming back into the plant when EE had crossed over to the old scales side road. He got out of his truck & started to cross the tracks when the locomotive operator saw him. They heard him on the radio say he had broke the 7 car. A coworker asked another coworker if he could see him & when he looked back he saw him on the tracks. He had been hit by the locomotive.

April 18, 2007 AR · Metal/Non-Metal prep plant foreman, supervisor, mill plant supervisor, kiln supervisor Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Almatis Inc · Fall from scaffolds, walkways, platforms

Other ee was contructing a work scaffold, 5th floor, Bldg 450. Another ee was at the 10 foot level passing material to the top floor. While EE was re-locating he fell app. 60'.

August 21, 2003 AR · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · MACHINERY
Hanson Aggregates West Inc · Struck by falling object

THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO LOAD CONVEYOR SHUTTLE, LOAD WAS SUSPENDED IN AIR SO TRUCK COULD BACK UNDER IT. CRANE STARTED SWINGING AND TILTING ALLOWING LOAD TO FALL. LOAD STRUCK EMPLOYEE.

October 24, 2002 AR · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · EXPLODING VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE
Ash Grove Cement Company · Contact with hot objects or substances

EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSFERRING FUEL WHEN THERE WAS A FAILURE OF A PUMP CAUSING A FIRE.

August 31, 2001 AR · Coal laborer, bull gang, faceman, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Hartshorne Carbon Company · Struck by falling object

ONE FATALITY AND ONE BRUSING/SEVERE SHOCK DUE TO ROCK FALL. BOTH INDIVIDUALS STANDING ADJACENT TO A LOSE SHUTTLE CAR, ONE WATCHING MINER TRAILING CABLE, WHEN LARGE ROCK FELL FROM ROOF STRIKING ONE PERSON AND GRAZING THE OTHER.

August 6, 2000 AR · Metal/Non-Metal miner, nec Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
County Line Mine · Struck by falling object

THE VICTIM, EE, AGE 7 WAS COLLECTING QUARTZ CRYSTALS AT THE BASE OF THE HIGH WALL WHEN THE OVER BURDEN COLLAPSED STRIKING THE VICTIM KNOCKING HIM TO THE GROUND.

January 21, 2000 AR · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · MACHINERY
Alcoa World Alumina Llc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

DEMOLITION OF STEEL STRUCTURE USING CUT PULL AND DROP METHOD. A PIECE BECAME LOOSE AND ROLLED UNTIL IT HIT THE DECEASED.

November 9, 1998 AR · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Martin Marietta Materials Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

AT APPROX. 4:45 EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING END DUMP CO # 31-054. THE TRUCK WAS LOADED WITH SB-2 THAT WAS TO BE DUMPED ON THE RAMP OF THE SB-2 STOCKPILE. THE MATERIAL WAS TO BE USED TO BUILD UP THE RAMP. AT APPROX. 5:10 AN EMPLOYEE OBSERVED END DUMP #54 LAYING ON ITS SIDE AT THE BASE OF THE STOCKPILE.

May 4, 1998 AR · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

SWITCH ENGINE THAT WAS BEING CONTROLLED BY REMOTE DEVICE; WAS SWITCHING CARS ONTO TRACK WHERE EE WAS WORKING, CAUSING CAR TO RUN OVER HIM, CRUSHING HIM TO DEATH.

April 26, 1996 AR · Metal/Non-Metal warehouseman, bagger, palletizer/stacker, store keeper, packager, fabricator, cleaning plant operator Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Tommy Gipson Construction Company · Contact with electrical current

IT'S ASSUMED THAT EITHER WATCHING ANOTHER EE OR PERHAPS LOOKING FOR HIS CAP WHICH THE WIND MIGHTHAVE BLOWN OFF HE APPARENTLY HAD HOLD OF THE BUILDING & A RAIL ON A MACHINE WHICH WAS GROUNDED. AN ELECTRICAL CABLE HAD A CUT IN IT FROM RUBBINGON [OR CUTTING] FROM SHEET IRON SIDING ON BUILDING. CUT WAS NOT KNOWN ABOUT UNTIL ACCIDENT.

September 22, 1993 AR · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · ELECTRICAL
White River Materials Inc · Contact with electrical current

WHILE REPAIRING A 10HPH ELECTRIC MOTOR AND WIRING IT UP AFTER REPAIR A HOT WIRE WAS PLACED ON GROUND AND EMPLOYEE TOUCHED MOTOR WHILE POWER WAS ON RESULTING IN DEATH BY ELECTROCUTION.

September 22, 1993 AR · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman Fatality · MACHINERY
APAC-Central, Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EMPLOYEE WAS SENT TO SHARPS QUARRY TO SERVICE A CAT 621 SCRAPER FOR MCCLINTON-ANCHOR COMPANY.HE WAS OPERATING A 1989 FORD F700 WITH A HIAB 173 SPEED LOADER BOOM HOIST WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENE D.HE WAS USING THE HOIST LIFTING A 29.5X35 (APPROXIMATELY 900 POUND) TIRE OFF THE REAR OF THE SCRAPER. WITNESSES AT THE SCENE REPORTED HE HAD JUST CHANGED THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND HAD MOVED TH

July 31, 1991 AR · Metal/Non-Metal welder (shop) Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Herzog Stone Products Inc · Contact with electrical current

AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE REVERES FORWARD SWITCH SHORTED TO THE CASE-ELECTROCUTING EMPLOYEE.

July 8, 1989 AR · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL
Crystals Unique · Struck by falling object

THE FLOOR OF THE PIT HAD BEEN BLASTED UNDER CUTTING AN OVERHANGING HIGHWALL AFTER THE BLASTED MATERIAL HAD BEEN REMOVED THE VICTIM STEPPED INTO THE EXCAVATION THE OVERHANGING HIGHWALL FELL CR USHING THE VICTIM

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