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October 7, 2022 Fatality - Fatality Alert

Accident Report: Fatality Reference

PDF Version

MINE FATALITY – On October 7, 2022, a mechanic was fatally injured when he was engulfed in material after he entered an air separator to clear a blockage. 

Accident where a mechanic was fatally injured when he was engulfed in material after he entered an air separator to clear a blockage.

Best Practices

  • Install mechanical flow-enhancing devices, such as mechanical vibratory devices, that can maintain material flow and prevent the need for miners to enter a confined space.
  • Mine operators should establish procedures to clear blockages and train all miners in the procedures.
  • Make sure miners wear a safety belt or harness equipped with a lifeline when entering a confined space, and that a second miner, similarly equipped, is attending the lifeline.

Additional Information

This is the 24th fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Confined Space.”