METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On March 10, 1995, a contractor employee was killed at a
copper pit. The employee was operating a wood chipper
clearing a new construction site of fallen trees. He was
attempting to clean out the area between the feed chute
and the operator's cab of the chipper when the yoke
assembly for the in-feed roller rotated downward pinning
the victim and crushing the right side of his skull. This
is the tenth fatality reported in calendar year 1995 in
the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date
in 1994, there were 11 fatalities reported in these
industries. This death is the second fatality classified
as machinery this year. There were four machinery
fatalities during the same period in 1994.
For more information:
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL95M10]