Big Island Mine & Refinery — Accidents

Total: 239 accidents | Fatalities: 2

Date Classification Injury Days Lost Narrative
09/12/2009 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Hoist #3 (south skip) had an open door at the apron feeder. Skip would not clear at the clam shell, which tripped the hoist. MSHA was called. Two hoists were still operable. Hoist #3 was back in servi...
09/09/2009 IGNITION OR EXPLOSION OF GAS OR DUST ACCIDENT ONLY None Mechanic was cutting out bent bit from miner drum and a spark ignited methane gas which was being released from floor. Mechanic extinguished fire with water hose from continuous miner in less than 1 m...
08/18/2009 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Main hoist motor for Service Hoist #1 malfunctioned. MSHA (800 number and Green River office) was notified at 11:45 a.m. There were 50 miners underground. Two hoists were still operable (#2 & #3 Hoist...
08/05/2009 MACHINERY PERM TOT OR PERM PRTL DISABLTY 16d restricted Employee was helping direct a motor which was being lifted by a 2/1 directional pulley rigging. Employee had left hand on stationery cable & right hand reaching for motor, when left pinky finger went...
06/29/2009 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 9d lost EE was going up a silo in a man basket. As he reached the work level he prepared to put on his blast hood. He noticed his rope grab was sitting on the basket & his life line had not gone through. As h...
05/06/2009 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None #2 Hoist went down due to the whisker switch sticking in ""on"" position. Whisker switch was repaired at 9 a.m. No mine employees were trapped; two means of escape were available.
05/06/2009 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 3d restricted Injury was lifting and moving asbestos waste bags and twisted wrong while holding the bag of about 30#s. Lumbar Strain
04/25/2009 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Rock prevented clam shell from opening on ore skip of Hoist #3. Attempts were made to notify MSHA, but supervisor was unable to leave message at ""800"" number. No mine employees were trapped, two wa...
04/09/2009 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 32d lost, 42d restricted Employee was moving miner cable with a crutch (against the rib) and felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Employee was able to continue working with no restrictions. Employee received surgery on sho...
04/07/2009 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was replacing the gear reducer on the drive of a screw conveyor and moving the suspended load. The load hit bumped toe board and pinched right pinky finger. He was able to return to work.
01/13/2009 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 70d restricted Employee was walking to change house at end of shift. Employee slipped on concrete walkway and fell on seat. Employee received medical care and was unable to return to work full duty.
11/13/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee stuck welding rod in his hand while welding, received a puncture wound that got infected.
10/23/2008 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 6d restricted Employee was holding a sheave wheel block during a repair, while another employee was using a punch hammer and a 4 lb. hammer to free wheel. Punch hammer glanced off of wheel and struck other employee...
10/14/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was crouching under a pipe when his knee hit the lanyard and the lanyard swung up and hit his tooth.
10/07/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None While conducting a wire rope test at the drum end of #2 Shaft North Skip Rope, contractor employee put his left leg through a window cutting leg below the knee.
09/30/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 10d lost Employee was lifting rebar, twisted, and strained back.
08/25/2008 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was removing a broken bit from continuous miner drum, using a punch hammer and a 4 pound hammer. A projected piece of metal sliced employee's forearm and was embedded. Employee was given medi...
07/28/2008 ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT ONLY None NO INJURY, employee was tramming 330DL Track hoe when he struck an overhead powerline. Powerline was severed. NO ONE INJURED. Lines being damaged caused units to trip inside of Plant.
06/30/2008 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Electrical power kicked off and electricity to both main fans on all three hoists was lost at 12:04. Power to the mine was restored to the mine at 12:23, #1 fan restored at 12:28, #2 fan at 12:45. Min...
05/29/2008 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 2d lost Employee was installing outlet gate under railcar when outlet gate shifted on jack and pinched fingers between outlet gate and jack. Resulted in fractured little finger.
04/11/2008 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None #3 Hoist tripped out with a slack rope indication at approx. 8:45 p.m. Then at 9:30 p.m. #2 Hoist stopped with a brake release problem. Mine evacuation began at 9:40 p.m. At 12:15 a.m. on 4/12/08, bot...
04/08/2008 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 8d restricted A burner box was being hoisted away from duct work on kiln in Unit 6. As employee was pulling the chainfall, two eyebolts (connecting the rigging) failed, allowing the burner box to fall to the deck a...
04/02/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 128d lost Employee was removing the bottom base bolt on a pump and felt a pop in his left shoulder. Employee was able to continue working. On 5/1/08 employee received medical attention for the shoulder and Dr....
02/05/2008 MACHINERY DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 24d restricted While drilling a separation station, employee was adding the 3rd steel. While pushing the steels in the hole, the top of the 3rd steel slipped off of the bottom of the second steel, causing both first...
01/23/2008 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was using a hammer to knock out broken bit from head of continuous miner. Metal chip was released and was imbedded in employee's forearm. Metal was removed by physician and employee received...
01/14/2008 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 3d lost Employee was standing on east side of TRM II mud line chipping out a plug of frozen mud. The frozen plug got a hole in it and cut loose. An unknown amount of pressure forced the frozen plug out along...
01/08/2008 MACHINERY DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 86d lost, 25d restricted Employee was drilling gas holes with the bolter while standing on the continuous miner. While employee attempted to insert another auger, his foot slipped at the same time the bolter operator was slid...
12/10/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 46d lost Employee was carrying door & frame up stairs. When employee raised load, he felt a pull in his knee. On 12/18/07 employee received medical attention and required restricted work activities.
10/14/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 56d lost, 36d restricted Employee was lifting large hose, which was full of ore, twisted and felt pain in upper arm. Received medical treatment and had shoulder injury.
09/19/2007 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None While EE was on his way back to the I & E shop from getting a pop, he took a sip of the drink, choked on the drink, caughed and passed out just short of the mandoor at the south end of the I & E shop....
07/10/2007 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 6d lost Employee entered area with hot crystals on the floor to assist another employee who was burned. Employee slipped and received burns to leg and arm.
07/10/2007 MACHINERY DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 16d lost Employee was closing valves on the evaporator body, when hot crystals overflowed to the floor, surrounding employee. Employee received burns on bottom of foot.
07/03/2007 OTHER NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None EE felt a burning sensation in right eye after traveling under ore belt. Two days later, on 7/5/07, eye was sore and EE received medical attention. Dr. determined eye infection was present and stated...
05/17/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee cut his finger at home before work. When he was helping change brake shoes, he lost his footing with brake shoe in his hand & the brake shoe smashed his finger between the brake shoe and rail...
05/14/2007 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 8d restricted EE was working to repair pressure filter (f507). As he was exiting filter, he reached up to hold the top of the door frame of the filter. EE lost his footing, slipped and caught all of his weight with...
04/25/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 30d restricted While retrieving 3"" water pipe from cont miner (CM01) using lift truck, pipe hung up on J-hook & fell into lift truck. Pipe bounced when it hit & struck ee's hand. EE rec'd sutures in right middle fi...
04/22/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 13d lost, 30d restricted Employee picked up ore sample in 5 gal bucket to bring to Lab. Bucket was fuller than usual & was very heavy. Employee tried to use one hand, but couldn't lift the bucket. Then EE used both hands to l...
04/13/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was working at the bottom of Shaft #3, repairing a pump. Warning light to alert others (on door) was not illuminated, because pump and light were on the same circuit. Another employee opened...
04/02/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 52d lost While shoveling rock and dirt onto a conveyor (7C26C), employee twisted the shovel to empty it onto the belt, and felt a twinge in his shoulder. Employee was able to continue working.
01/23/2007 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 42d lost Employee was performing maintenance work on a continuous miner (CM04), dropped valve spool under the miner. Employee knelt down on right knee to retrieve spool. When he stood up and put weight on righ...
01/12/2007 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 37d lost, 14d restricted Employee was dragging curtain into crosscut #2 in CM05 area. He stepped on a rock causing his ankle to give way and causing employee to fall.
11/30/2006 POWERED HAULAGE DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 4d restricted Operator was opening ports on screw conveyor (6CS34) to drain water. Operator saw some buildup of material in the east port and tried to knock it out with a 10"" crescent wrench. The screw caught the...
11/19/2006 FALLING/SLIDING/ROLLING MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 62d lost Employee was working in Unit 4 Dissolver section of the mill. As employee stepped up on a platform, a large chunk of material fell from a beam above, striking EE's hard hat, then glancing off his shou...
10/27/2006 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 157d lost Employee went to the parking lot to retrieve an item from her vehicle. Employee slipped on an ice patch and fell, landing on her right knee.
10/21/2006 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) PERM TOT OR PERM PRTL DISABLTY 49d lost Employee was attempting to remove a piece of rock from a screw conveyor. The pipe wrench he was using came into contact with the conveyor pinching his left hand.
10/09/2006 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee was replacing guard on feeder Stamler #7. Guard was bent and did not slide into hanger hardware easily. While trying to force the pin into the hanger, the pin slid and pinched ee s finger bet...
10/04/2006 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 6d restricted Operator was dumping a dissolving mill (5ML01B) and had valve 1/2 open. There was low flow. When the hot liquor broke free, it sprayed out on operator, went down his foot and burned right foot.
09/07/2006 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None EE was watching continuous miner pick up wind row, and cable from offside shuttle car (SC39) knocked EE off his feet. EE struck his head on a rock.
08/27/2006 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 3d restricted Employee was walking down steps from rake (6RC01) and lost footing. While trying to regain balance, the tip of his boot caught and rolled ankle.
08/27/2006 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 4d lost Employee was installing a new chain on feeder breaker (SL05) using a Port-a-Power tool. The tool cylinder jumped out of place, hitting employee on the shin. One week later, employee received medical a...