Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Louisiana

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

Fatalities recorded
13
Total incidents
1,968
Years on record
2000–2026

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 20001
  2. 20061
  3. 20071
  4. 20091
  5. 20131
  6. 20141
  7. 20191
  8. 20201

Top operators in Louisiana by fatality count

  1. 01Big River Industries1fatal
  2. 02Compass Minerals America Inc.1fatal
  3. 03Morton Salt Div/Morton International Inc1fatal
  4. 04Compass Minerals Louisiana Inc.1fatal
  5. 05Cargill Deicing Technology1fatal

Recent fatalities in Louisiana

Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

An employee received burn injuries from exposure to hot water and caustic liquid, when they entered an area where the liquids accumulated on the ground. Employee fell into an open sump hole while walking into the work area.

Struck by falling object

Roof fell at the 700' level at intersection H-13 striking two miners. The miners were fatally injured.

Struck by falling object

Roof fell at the 700' level at intersection H-13 striking two miners. The miners were fatally injured.

Struck by flying object

Operator was priming Dredge pump with Jet line. When Operator closed the valve on Jet line, 2"" Cam Lock broke and struck operator.

Contact with electrical current

A contractor died at the operation underground. The cause of death is unknown at the time of this report. MSHA issued a 103(k) order on the area. The information in this report is all we have at this time.

Struck against stationary object

Employee had worked an entire day operating a John Deere 750C Dozer along side another experienced dozer operator. At approximately 5:25pm the employee was last seen crossing over a dirt pile. A few minutes later that same employee saw the 750C dozer blade first in a ditch with the tracks still running and employee lying face up behind the machine.

Struck by falling object

The incident is still under investigation. The individual was struck by an unknown object when replacing guide rope bushings on the north skip in the loading pocket at the bottom of the 16 foot shaft. The victim was working on top of a skip, performing maintenance with 2 coworkers, when a piece of salt fell and struck him.

Struck by falling object

The investigation is not complete, but as of now it appears that the employee had washed the #2 drill and was rolling up the hose when a portion of the mine roof collapsed, striking and covering him with a section of the salt roof.

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

A dragline oiler had been walking the 1570 dragline. He was last seen near the end of a walkway and was later found between the shoe and the revolving frame. There were no witnesses to the event. The employee was fatally injured.

Drowning

Cause of accident is unknown at this time. Employee was working on a winch on a dredge boat and was found drowned behind the boat some time afterwards.

Contact with electrical current

A master electrician was fatally injured while trouble-shooting 460 volt electric motor. (question #26: experience at this mine TWO hours.)

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

STOCKPILING ORE AT MILL SITE STOCKPILE AREA. DUMP TRUCK DUMPED HIS LOAD ON STOCKPILE AND BEGAN TO PULL AWAY FROM PILE. WHILE SLOWING PULLING FORWARD AND BEGGINING TO TURN TO THE RIGHT, THE HAU L TRUCK RAN OVER A DOZER OPERATOR WHO WAS IN FRONT OF DUMP TRUCK THE INJURY WAS FATAL.

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

CONDITIONS UNKNOWN @ THIS TIME IMPAIRMENT-DEATH.THE VICTIM WAS OPERATING A TRACTOR PULLING A MOWER ALONG THE MILL ENTRANCE ROAD. HE WAS FATALLY INJURED WHEN HE FELL FROM AND WAS RAN OVER BY TH E TRACTOR.

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.