METAL/NON-METAL MINE FATALITY – On February 29, 2020, a plant foreman was priming the main suction pump on a dredge when a two-inch coupling on the waterjet pipe failed, knocking the victim into the water. Divers retrieved his body several hours later. The victim was not wearing a life preserver.
Best Practices:
- Wear a life preserver where there is a risk of falling into the water.
- Identify all possible hazards and ensure appropriate controls are in place to protect miners before beginning work.
- Provide swimming training for everyone that works around water.
Additional Information:
This is the 5th fatality reported in 2020, and the first classified as “Machinery.”