Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has 33 recorded mining fatalities on file with MSHA, across 6,673 reportable incidents (1983–2026).

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

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Abandoned and historical mine features in Oklahoma →

Fatalities recorded
33
Total incidents
6,673
Fatal rate
0.5%
Years on record
1983–2026

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 1983 2
  2. 1984 1
  3. 1986 3
  4. 1987 1
  5. 1988 3
  6. 1990 2
  7. 1991 1
  8. 1992 2
  9. 1996 2
  10. 2000 2
  11. 2001 1
  12. 2004 2
  13. 2005 1
  14. 2007 1
  15. 2010 3
  16. 2012 1
  17. 2019 1
  18. 2023 1
  19. 2024 1
  20. 2025 1
  21. 2026 1

Top mines in Oklahoma by fatality count

  1. 01 Matthews Borrow Pit 2fatal
  2. 02 U.S. Lime Company-St. Clair 2fatal
  3. 03 Amrize Stringtown Quarry 2fatal
  4. 04 Claremore Quarry 2fatal
  5. 05 Rogers County Mine 1fatal

Mines in Oklahoma by county

every county with a mine on MSHA's register; each county page lists its mines

County Mines Active Fatalities
Haskell County 176 25 1
Le Flore County 129 12 2
Oklahoma County 67 6 1
Tulsa County 66 7 1
Rogers County 48 3 4
Pittsburg County 46 2 1
Craig County 40 2 0
Ottawa County 37 6 1
Muskogee County 36 2 1
Cleveland County 35 0 0
Wagoner County 32 5 1
Kingfisher County 31 2 0
Sequoyah County 29 5 2
Johnston County 28 9 1
Pontotoc County 27 5 1
McIntosh County 26 3 0
Choctaw County 25 4 0
Pottawatomie County 25 2 0
Blaine County 23 2 0
Bryan County 23 4 0
Okmulgee County 21 0 1
Kay County 21 3 0
Latimer County 21 1 0
Seminole County 20 4 1
Murray County 19 5 1
Carter County 18 1 0
Canadian County 17 0 1
McCurtain County 17 4 1
Kiowa County 16 4 1
Nowata County 16 2 0
Adair County 14 2 0
Beaver County 14 1 0
Caddo County 14 2 0
Woodward County 14 1 0
Atoka County 13 5 3
Major County 13 2 1
McClain County 13 0 0
Osage County 13 3 0
Greer County 12 0 0
Jackson County 12 2 0
Pawnee County 12 1 0
Cherokee County 11 2 2
Washington County 11 2 1
Ellis County 11 0 0
Love County 10 1 0
Mayes County 10 2 0
Texas County 10 1 0
Comanche County 9 1 1
Creek County 9 1 0
Delaware County 9 0 0
Payne County 9 0 0
Pushmataha County 9 0 0
Coal County 8 0 0
Custer County 8 0 0
Dewey County 8 1 0
Harper County 8 0 0
Logan County 8 4 0
Stephens County 7 0 0
Grady County 6 0 0
Marshall County 6 1 0
Garfield County 5 0 0
Okfuskee County 5 0 0
Roger Mills County 5 0 0
Cotton County 4 1 1
Tillman County 4 0 1
Cimarron County 4 0 0
Hughes County 4 0 0
Noble County 4 0 0
Washita County 4 0 0
Woods County 4 0 0
Beckham County 3 0 0
Garvin County 3 0 0
Harmon County 2 0 0
Jefferson County 2 0 0
Alfalfa County 1 0 0
Grant County 1 0 0
Lincoln County 1 0 0

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 APAC-Central, Inc 2fatal
  2. 02 Bellco Materials Inc 2fatal
  3. 03 Muskogee Bridge Company Inc 2fatal
  4. 04 Stringtown Materials LP 2fatal
  5. 05 U.S. Lime Company-St. Clair 2fatal
  6. 06 B & B Sand & Gravel Company Inc 1fatal
  7. 07 Bailey'S Limestone Quarry 1fatal
  8. 08 Bison Materials LLC 1fatal
  9. 09 Blue Circle Inc 1fatal
  10. 10 Cotton County 1fatal

Recent fatalities

July 6, 2026 OK · Metal/Non-Metal utility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
U.S. Lime Company-St. Clair · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

At the time of filing it is believed the miner was riding on the back of a railcar when the railcar derailed and pinned the miner between the railcar and a nearby structure. The miner was transported to a medical facility where EE died the following day.

June 15, 2025 OK · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · MACHINERY
P&K Stone LLC · Struck by falling object

It rained and the mining pit needed to be dewatered. EE was at the mine site alone. It was reported that EE's spouse, was in the truck on the mine site while EE went into the pit. EE moved the telehandler into the pit, parked it on the bottom of the pit parallel on the ramp. EE exited the tele. While standing outside of the tele facing east, the tele fell over onto EE, crushing EE.

August 22, 2024 OK · Metal/Non-Metal utility man, shift tech, service/dump truck operator Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
APAC-Central, Inc · Fall from scaffolds, walkways, platforms

Employee fell through opening/hole in platform that had been removed, fell about 20 feet and received head trauma. Update: The employee passed away on 9/6/24.

December 14, 2023 OK · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · MACHINERY
Bison Materials LLC · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Miner was moving a rinse bucket to access a piece of metal that needed to be repaired and welded. As EE pulled the pin from the rinse bucket somehow the hydraulic cylinder gave way pinning the miner in between the bucket and a handrail. Resulting in the death of the miner.

June 24, 2019 OK · Metal/Non-Metal crane operator, mobile equipment operator (meo), dragline operator, dropball operator, rigger Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Dolese Bros. Co. · Struck by powered moving object

Employee was fatally injured when they fell beneath the wheels of a tractor trailer. The tractor-trailer was being towed out by a bulldozer, since said truck-trailer was stuck in the sand. Victim was last seen standing 20-30 ft away, as bulldozer began to pull truck out of sand, walking toward the truck and trailer.

May 23, 2012 OK · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman Fatality · MACHINERY

Employee was operating an excavator between two small ponds when the ground beneath the excavator tracks failed and the excavator toppled into one of the ponds.

October 10, 2010 OK · Metal/Non-Metal electrician helper Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. · Flash burns (electric)

The investigation into the accident is on-going, but as of now, it appears as the three employees were installing ground vault indicator lights when an ach flash occurred, injuring them. The employees were transported to the hospital.

August 14, 2010 OK · Metal/Non-Metal barge/boat/dredge/towbarge/towboat/leach operator, riverman, deck hand Fatality · OTHER

EE was loading boat onto trailer, another EE in pickup started to pull up, wheels started spinning. Other EE went to get loader and chain, when he got back EE told him that boat had floated off trailer, EE was standing beside pickup. The other EE went to shop to get hook to try to retrieve boat, when he returned, EE's boots were by the water and EE was missing.

May 24, 2010 OK · Metal/Non-Metal belt foreman, maintenance foreman, maintenance supervisor Fatality · MACHINERY
U.S. Lime Company-St. Clair · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was working on a Raymond Roller Mill when he entered into the roller area of the mill. The mill was energized and the rollers crushed him.

November 16, 2007 OK · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE

While dumping short for a dozer to extend higher berms, the injured backed his end dump truck into a different area away from the dump area. The victim landed upside down in water at the bottom of the pit. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the medical examiner.

June 6, 2005 OK · Coal electrician, lineman Fatality · FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
South Central Coal Company, Inc. · Struck by falling object

The victim had traveled inby permanent roof support in the #3 entry right crosscut #4 and a section of draw rock fell in the unsupported area fatally injuring the victim. The continuous miner was cutting into #3 right crosscut from the #4 entry when the draw rock fell out on miner and victim.

July 24, 2004 OK · Metal/Non-Metal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Stringtown Materials LP · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While cleaning material buildup from underneath field conveyor using a Bobcat loader, the employee climbed out of the vehicle to inspect a pin which had worked loose on the boom arm. After climbing back into the Bobcat, the employee bypassed the safety devices and operated the equipment standing up and became pinned between the boom crossmember and the roof of the cab.

March 24, 2004 OK · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator Fatality · MACHINERY
Bellco Materials Inc · Caught in, under or between running or meshing objects

Apparently the victim attempted to install drill steel with the mast vertical and the drill head rotating. The victim became entangled in the rotating drill steel when the steel cross threaded in the drill collar.

August 7, 2001 OK · Metal/Non-Metal drill helper Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Stringtown Materials LP · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE WAS ASSISTING IN MOVING 5 CONNECTED RAILCARS TO AN ADJACENT TRACK BY MEANS OF A WHEELL TRACTOR. THE REAR RAILCAR BECAME UNCOUPLED FROM THE TRACTOR. THE EE SIGNALED THE OPERATOR OF TRACTOR T O BACK AWAY FROM THE REAR RAILCAR TO ALLOW RECOUPLING. AFTER THE WHEEL TRACTOR BACKED AWAY, THE EE POSITIONED HIMSELF BETWEEN THE TRACTOR & RAILCAR. THE SLACK RELEASED FATALLY INJURING EE.

June 26, 2000 OK · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer Fatality · OTHER

TWO EES WERE ATTEMPTING TO FIX A BROKEN ANCHOR CABLE WHEN THE BOAT FLAT BOTTOM CAPSIZED AND THREW THEM INTO THE RIVER. NEITHER WERE WEAR LIFE JACKETS. OTHER WAS ABLE TO HOLD ON TO SOME TANKS T HAT WERE INT HE BOAT AND GET HIMSELF TO THE SHORE. EE WAS LAST SEEN TRYING TO SWIM TO SHORE. EE WAS FOUND AROUND 7 PM 6-27-00 ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES

April 25, 2000 OK · Metal/Non-Metal mine manager, mine foreman, mine owner Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Bellco Materials Inc · Struck by powered moving object

LOADER OPERATOR OTHER INFORMED HIS FOREMAN, EE THAT HIS LOADER HAD AN OIL LEAK. EE TOLD OTHER THAT HE COULDN'T FIND THE LEAK, CLIMBED DOWN, WENT TO HIS PICKUP TRUCK FOR A FLASHLIGHT, RETURNED, & CLIMBED UNDER THE LOADER TO LOOK FOR LEAK. OTHER THINKING THEY WERE DONE, CLOSED THE COWLING, GET INTO THE CAB, AND PUT THE LOADER IN REVERSE. EE HEARING THE BACKUP ALARM, UNSUCESSFULLY TRI

June 29, 1996 OK · Metal/Non-Metal mechanic helper Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Bailey'S Limestone Quarry · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

WORKING OUT OF A 540 DRESSER LOADER BUCKET TILTED FORWARD CRUSED BETWEEN LOADER & MOTOR GUARD.

February 15, 1996 OK · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Material Producers Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

HE WALKED IN FRONT OF A 988-F FRONT END LOADER AND THE BUCKET OF THE LOADER KNOCKED HIM DOWN AND RAN OVER HIM.

October 26, 1992 OK · Metal/Non-Metal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey Fatality · EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Muskogee Bridge Company Inc · Struck by flying object

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE TYING IN ELECTRIC BLASTING CAP WIRES FOR A SHOT WHEN A FAST MOVING ELECTRICAL STORM AND LIGHTENING CAUSED A PREMATURE DETONATION OF THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGES IN THE HOLES. THESE TWO EMPLOYEES ( THE CERTIFIED BLASTER AND HELPER) WERE FATALLY INJURED AND A THIRD MAN SUFFERED MINOR ELECTRIC SHOCK INJURIES.

October 26, 1992 OK · Metal/Non-Metal blaster, shooter, shotfirer, explosive worker, powder gang/monkey Fatality · EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Muskogee Bridge Company Inc · Struck by flying object

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE TYING IN ELECTRIC BLASTING CAP WIRES FOR A SHOT WHEN A FAST MOVING ELECTRICAL STORM AND LIGHTENING CAUSED A PREMATURE DETONATION OF THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGES IN THE HOLES. THESE TWO EMPLOYEES (THE CERTIFIED BLASTER AND HELPER) WERE FATALLY INJURED AND A THIRD MAN SUFFERED MINOR ELECTRIC SHOCK INJURY INJURIES.

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