Mining Incidents

Mining Incidents in Puerto Rico

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

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Fatalities recorded
15
Total incidents
2,465
Fatal rate
1%
Years on record
1984–2009

Year-over-year fatalities

  1. 1984 1
  2. 1987 1
  3. 1989 1
  4. 1990 2
  5. 1991 1
  6. 1992 1
  7. 1993 1
  8. 1996 2
  9. 2000 1
  10. 2002 1
  11. 2006 1
  12. 2007 1
  13. 2009 1

Top mines in Puerto Rico by fatality count

  1. 01 Cantera Espinosa 4fatal
  2. 02 Ponce Cement Plant 2fatal
  3. 03 Canarico Quarries 2fatal
  4. 04 CANTERA DE PUERTO RICO 1fatal
  5. 05 CANTERA CARRAIZO 1fatal

Top operators by fatality count

  1. 01 Argos Puerto Rico Corp 3fatal
  2. 02 Cemex de Puerto Rico 3fatal
  3. 03 Canarico Quarries Inc 2fatal
  4. 04 Master Aggregates Toa Baja Corp 2fatal
  5. 05 Cantera Carraizo Inc 1fatal
  6. 06 Canteras De Puerto Rico Inc 1fatal
  7. 07 San Juan Cement Company Inc 1fatal
  8. 08 Terrassa Sand & Gravel, Inc. 1fatal
  9. 09 Trujillo Alto Sand & Gravel Inc 1fatal

Recent fatalities

February 19, 2009 PR · Metal/Non-Metal carpenter Fatality · MACHINERY
Master Aggregates Toa Baja Corp · Struck by falling object

Employee was walking at the plant facilities, a cornerstone of the crane collapsed, hitting the employee directly to the body and falling down. Employee was wearing safety equipment as required (capacete). Received multiple injuries to the upper and lower body.

September 7, 2007 PR · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman Fatality · MACHINERY
Canarico Quarries Inc · Struck against a moving object

For unexplained reasons, the miner gained access to a secondary road, adjacent from where he was instructed to do road maintenance. Miner removed berm and came too close to road edge, loosing control of equipment and falling through a steep slope, rolling over with the machine. This resulted in miners death. Miner was not wearing seat belt.

July 15, 2006 PR · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Terrassa Sand & Gravel, Inc. · Drowning

Extrayendo material en el lado noreste de la charca de extraccion el chofer, no sabemos la razon, hizo un viraje en el lado noroeste de la charca y cayo a la misma con su camion. El chofer fallecio.The victim's truck was loaded with his first load of the shift. He was backing his haul truck out of the extraction area(pit) when truck traveled across a field into a water filled pit.

November 13, 2002 PR · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer Fatality · MACHINERY
Master Aggregates Toa Baja Corp · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE EMPLOYEE WAS PUSHING MATERIAL WITH HIS BULLDOZER WHEN A LANDSLIDE FROM A SLOPED MINE WALL FELL WITH ROCKS CRUSHED THE CABIN. THE EMPLOYEE WAS TRAPPED AND WOUNDED WITH ONE OF THE SUPPORTS O F THE CABIN, CAUSING IMMEDIATE DEATH.

September 13, 2000 PR · Metal/Non-Metal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Canarico Quarries Inc · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

A FATA ACCIDENT ACCOURED IN THE BC-03 PRIMARY CRUSHER AREA. THE GEHL MODEL 3825 SKID STEER LOADER OPEARTOR WAS PINNED BETWEEN THE BUCKET ARM AND FRONT FRAME CRUSHIG HIS HEAD.

September 16, 1996 PR · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Argos Puerto Rico Corp · Contact with hot objects or substances

BASED ON THE INFORMATION COLLECTED AT THIS DATE,THE EMPLOYEE WHILE IN AREA ADJACENT TO THE COOLER SYSTEM SUFFER SERIOUS BURNS IN HIS BODY WHEN ASUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED RELEASE OF HOT RAW MATERIA L SPILLED OVER HIM.

September 16, 1996 PR · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Argos Puerto Rico Corp · Contact with hot objects or substances

BASED ON THE INFORMATION COLLECTED AT THIS DATE THE EMP WHILE IN AREA ADJACENT TO THE COOLER SYSTEM SUFFER SERIOUS BURNS IN HIS BODY WHEN A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED RELEASE OF HOT RAW MATERIAL SP ILLED OVER HIM.

November 4, 1993 PR · Metal/Non-Metal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech Fatality · FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS
Cemex de Puerto Rico · Contact with hot objects or substances

DECEASED WAS DOING CLEANING DUTIES IN THE TERCIARY AIR DUCT AT NUMBER SIX KILN AREA,WHEN SUDDENLY HOT DUST MATERIAL RAN INTO THE DUCT INFLECTING SEVERE BURNS ON HIS BODY.

August 24, 1992 PR · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Argos Puerto Rico Corp · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

54736YEE WAS FEEDING COAL CRUSHER HOPPER FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON HE WENT TO THE CLINKER STORAGE AREA USING AN/INCLINED ROADWAY. THE LOADER ROLL OVER AND THE VICTIM'S HEAD WAS CRUSHER WITH THE 58497MENT.

January 3, 1991 PR · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Cantera Carraizo Inc · Contact with hot objects or substances

EMPL WAS CLEANING ELECTRIC BRAKER MADE CONTACT WITH POINT BRUSH EXPLOSION OCCURRED & EMPL WAS SEVERELY BURNED.

September 20, 1990 PR · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer Fatality · MACHINERY
San Juan Cement Company Inc · Struck by falling object

WITNESSES ALLEGE THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS PREPARING AN AREA FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF STEEL BEAMS WHICH WERE BEING OFF-LOADED FROM A FLATBED TRUCK. WHILE THOSE BEAMS WERE SUSPENDED OVERHEAD BY NYLON SLINGS, THEY TILTED, SLID THROUGH THE SLINGS AND FELL, IMPACTING THE EMPLOYEE IN THE HEAD (FACE AREA). THE EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSFERRED BY AMBULANCE TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOU

February 19, 1990 PR · Metal/Non-Metal Fatality · SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Cemex de Puerto Rico · Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE EMPLOYEE WAS PREPARING HIMSELF TO INSTALL A GIRT CHANNEL. A PARENTLY HE DID NOT MAKE SURE THAT THE LATCH ON THE SAFTEY BELT WAS PROPERY SECURED AND WHEN HE LEANED BACK FOR SUPPORT ON THE LANYARD IS SLEPT AND HE FELL TO THE GROUND. THEFALL CAUSED HIS DEATH.

August 8, 1989 PR · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver Fatality · POWERED HAULAGE
Cemex de Puerto Rico · Struck by powered moving object

EMPLOYEE I NAME (# 01-1491)WAS DRIVING EUCLID TRUCK #245 TRANSPORTING QUARRY FROM ANGOLAS QUARERY STORAGE PILE TO CRUSHER #1 HAMMERMILL #1 AFTER HE UNLOADED THE TRUCK HE PROCEEDED TO MOVE TO T HE STORAGE PILE AREA TO LOADED AGAIN BUT AT THATMOMENT I NAME DIDNT SEE I NAME WHO CROSSED IN FRONT OF HIS VEHICLE & RAN OVER HIM I NAME WENT TO LOAD THE TRUCK & WHEN HE CAME BACK TO THE CRUS

April 21, 1987 PR · Metal/Non-Metal electrician, lineman Fatality · ELECTRICAL
Trujillo Alto Sand & Gravel Inc · Contact with electrical current

ELECTRICIAN CHA3GING STONE WASHER MOTOR STARTER CABLES 440 VOLTS WHEN UNSCREWING ONE LINE WITH ALLEN WRENCH,CABLE WAS ENERGIZED AND RECD ELEC SHOCK BEING ELECTROCUTED.PRELIM-4040 VOLTS.

May 9, 1984 PR · Metal/Non-Metal drill operator Fatality · EXPLOSIVES AND BREAKING AGENTS
Canteras De Puerto Rico Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE EMPLOYEE WAS TESTING THE CIRCUIT WITH AN INSTRUMENT AND SUDDENLY AN UNPLANNED DETONATION OCCURRED CAUSING THE EMPLOYEE FATAL INJURIES.

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