Mining Incidents in Georgia

Based on investigation to date, employee suffered a personal medical event (cardiac arrest). ""Per Prelim: After washing a concrete pad, a miner drowned in a two-foot-deep pool of water.""

Investigation is ongoing. *A miner died after being engulfed by a collapsing highwall.

The crew had drilled a chain hole and connected a chain to lift the block a short distance to break away from the ledge. When this occurred, grout rock remaining on the ledge above to miners broke loose and fell striking both of them, fatally injuring one and seriously injuring the second miner. The grout rock was left from the previous day, and was examined and determined safe.

Investigation is still ongoing, and an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause. *Per the prelim: Two contractors were electrocuted when a 14,400-volt overhead power line came in contact with their off-road dump trucks, and the contractors exited their trucks and contacted the ground.

Investigation is still under way and an autopsy is being performed to determine cause. *Per the prelim: Two contractors were electrocuted when a 14,400-volt overhead power line came in contact with their off-road dump trucks, and the contractors exited their trucks and contacted the ground.

A contract miner died when the compactor EE was operating overturned, pinning EE beneath the cab. As the compactor was traveling in reverse, the compactor's left tire went off a four-foot embankment causing the compactor to overturn.

Complicated seizure disorder (not work related)

Utility operator was found non-responsive with EE's clothing entangled in the drill steel of the roof bolter.

EE is believed to have been either chipping away several inches of top layer of brownish colored granite or drilling a chain hole through the granite near end of the block on the open face so block could be lifted using a chain. Granite block being worked on was approx. 5'x12'x30'. Additional submitted details on file.

While loading a face on level 3, NW2, the man basket of the powder truck raised up into the roof of the mine causing a fatal incident. The accident is still under investigation by the operator and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Employee was working in a de-energized 4160 volt GFCI controller in an attempt to reverse the polarity of the wires when it somehow became energized.

Crane fell over into quarry with operator inside cab. The victim was operating crane lifting an approximately 15 ton block of granite from the pit. The boom of the crane lowered causing the crane to tip over and fall 85 feet into the pit.

Cracked stone fell and crushed employee. Employee didn't follow procedure. Employee's lanyard wasn't tied off and the employee was using a foot wedge and jackhammer with 1 1/4"" bit. Employee should have been using 3/4"" plug drill and 5"" tether and wedge. The employee was drilling from the base and should have been drilling at the top.

Wash plant operator was operating a front-end loader during the overnight shift as normal. EE exited the loader and entered the hopper filled with sand the EE had just dumped. EE was fatally injured when they were engulfed in the sand, as it vibrated to the bottom of the hopper. EE may have entered the hopper to try to retrieve two pieces of metal inadvertently dumped into hopper.

Contract employee entered rail car GATX 22394 at approximately 11:30 am, to wash out the rail car. At approximately 12:00, a Thiele employee went to check on him and observed him lying on the floor of the car. Emergency response was activated immediately. Employee was recovered from the rail car by EMS personnel and pronounced deceased.

Employee was standing on a ditch bank when it collapsed. He fell into the ditch and was covered/crushed by falling material

Employee was operating a haul truck transporting material from the wash bins to a stockpile located Northwest of two settling ponds. On the return trip to the wash bins, the haul truck traveled through a berm on the left side of the haul road, went over an embankment and overturned on its left side in the settling pond.

An over-the-road truck driver (not a miner, nor an employee) was pinned against a loading dock by a shuttle trailor that was backing up to the dock.

Employee followed none of the safety & company policies. Allowed his girlfriend on the property and up in the cab of the loader. Also, evidence is pointing to drugs or alcohol. Awaiting the toxicology report.

Victim was scaling in level 9 north 8 when a large rock fell from the roof crushing the cab of the scale machine causing fatal injuries. The accident is still under investigation by MSHA and the mine operator. The root cause analysis is not complete at this time.