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METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On February 26, 2004, a 48-year-old, maintenance person with seven years mining experience was fatally injured at a crushed stone operation. Just prior to the accident, the victim and two other miners lowered a pipe from a fourth floor access door in a power screen building. A sliding door and guard rail had been removed to lower the pipe 56 feet to the ground. The victim, who was not wearing fall protection, fell through the access door to the ground.

Photo of Accident Scene

Best Practices

  • Wear fall protection where there is a danger of falling.
  • Conduct a risk analysis before starting a task to identify hazards and implement measures to ensure persons are properly protected.
  • Train all personnel to help them recognize potential hazards and understand procedures to safely perform tasks.
  • Monitor work tasks to reinforce safe procedures and obtain feedback from employees on the use of fall protection systems to ensure their commitment.
    • More Information E-mail Suggestion for Accident Prevention Program Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future.
    Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

    This is the 4th fatality reported in calendar year 2004 in the metal and nonmetal mining industries. As of this date in 2003, there were four fatalities reported in these industries. This is the 2nd fatality classified as Slip or Fall of Person in 2004. There were two Slip or Fall of Persons fatalities in the same period in 2003.

    The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.


    For more information:
    Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report