Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Arizona

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

Fatalities recorded
29
Total incidents
10,194
Years on record
2000–2026

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 20121

Top operators in Arizona by fatality count

  1. 01BHP Copper Inc1fatal

Recent fatalities in Arizona

Struck against a moving object

Our mixer driver was hauling for Freeport McMoRan at their Morenci mine location, the load was rejected and sent back, driver followed the escort down a hill with a full load, lost brakes and turned the mixer on its driver's side.

Unclassified, insufficient data

Weld crew initiated an argon purge on a 30"" pipe that had been fit up afternoon prior. When argon purge was established, two welders began to make their root pass welds. Upon inspection ""sugaring"" was observed. a welder entered the open end of the 30"" pipe for unknown reasons where they were found by a coworker to be unresponsive. No witnesses observed them enter the pipe.

Drowning

Operator error. Failed to set crane up in digging mode. Employee did not set the travel locks prior to digging.

Fall from machine

Upon information provided injury occurred while tarping load. EE fell from trailer to the ground.

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

Employee in flatbed service truck was parked on a waste dump at the Mission Mine. A 320 ton haul truck ran over flatbed service truck resulting in fatal accident.

Contact with electrical current

Employee went to prime the diaphragm pump located outside the stripping machine building, adjacent to the hydraulic room. Eight minutes pass where EE is unaccounted for prior to being found unresponsive, kneeling in liquid, face against the stainless steel flange of the tank house return HDPE line.

Fall from machine

During maintenance, a miner was struck by the boom of an excavator that was being used to position crusher parts; causing him to lose balance and fall approximately 11 feet. The fall resulted in several broken bones. MSHA arrived on site the afternoon of the accident and started an investigation. *Employee died on 5/26/2015.

Struck by falling object

The crew was attempting to align a section of pipe, which is 40 feet long, when the 2 pipes disconnected and 1 end of the pipe that the crew was trying to install slipped out of the joint and struck the employee. An excavator was being used to position a 36"" pipe diameter by 40' long section pipe to connect it to another section of pipe.

Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Fatality due to fall from heights.

Contact with hot objects or substances

A scraper and a service truck collided head-on while traveling in opposite directions on a haul road. The impact ignited a fire to both equipment and resulted in fatal injuries to the service truck driver.

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

The investigation is not complete, but as of now it appears a haul truck struck a pick-up truck. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time.

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

Employees were placing 24"" HDPE pipe, when the pipe suddenly shifted and rolled on top of one of the workers. He was treated and stabilized at the scene. He was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he later passed away.

Struck against stationary object

The investigation is not complete, but as of now it appears that the haul truck he was driving made contact with the safety berm and tipped on its side. The caue of the accident is unknown at this time.

Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The victim had been instructing persons making a belt splice. He fell through a 4 foot by 6 foot opening 28 feet to the floor below.

Contact with electrical current

Employee (electrician apprentice) and a co-worker (journeyman electrician) were working on a light fixture of the SX upper tailings booster when he came in contact with energized wire.

Fall from machine

Employee was found on the ground in front of a Cat 777D water truck. It appears that the employee fell to the ground from the equipment. There were no witnesses to the event. Autopsy report is pending.

Contact with electrical current

An electrician that was trouble shooting an installation was electrocuted by a single leg of a 3 phase 4160 volt service.

Contact with electrical current

The electrician was in the process of trouble shooting an electrical problem in the line of power feeding the 8200 Dragline. At the time of the accident the victim was in the KM-12 junction box when he contacted live electrical components resulting in fatal injuries.

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

Employee was crushed between tire and fuel tank.

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

Victim was operating a motorized scraper, without a seat belt. The belt was in good condition but he was not using it. He ran over a large pile of dirt and fell out of the machine. The machine ran him over.

Related states

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.