CAYUGA MINE — Accidents

Total: 267 accidents | Fatalities: 1

Date Classification Injury Days Lost Narrative
07/26/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None While starting the test trip it was discovered that the # 2 hoist would not power up on line power OR generator power. Troubleshooting began and 4 hoist control fuses were found to be blown and 1 circ...
06/28/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None The hoist operator attempted to hoist a loaded North skip to the surface. Hoist tripped out, no faults, upon further investigation electrician found 120 Volt circuit not present in the West drive cabi...
06/11/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None We were changing the dog springs in the #3 mancage as a PM. During this process the lifting beam needs to be detached from the drawhead of the cage. The lifting beam was lifted to high by the hoist a...
04/19/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None On the afternoon of the 19th the decision was made to evacuate the mine due to the discovery of the dogging mechanisms on the #2 escape hoist not working properly.
03/16/2016 HANDLING OF MATERIALS ALL OTHER CASES (INCL 1ST AID) None Employees sending a switchgear underground in material cage. Switchgear was suspended in the cage while EE's tried to secure the bottom of the switchgear. EE stepped between the switchgear and forkli...
03/09/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None While performing test trips the #3 hoist kicked out and the drive would not reset. A program change to correct a nuisance trip for the new slack rope detection system also created a new fault for mism...
02/24/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 5:13pm there was an instantaneous over-current that caused the East motor drive of the #1 hoist to trip out. This was due to a housing bolt that broke on an SCR causing it to arc against the cooli...
01/06/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None While riding the skip into the mine for the start of 3rd shift, the skip stopped suddenly near the 770 foot depth. A broken guide in the North side of the shaft had moved a couple inches in towards th...
01/02/2016 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At approximately 11:50am the #3 Hoist AC breaker tripped and would not reset while doing test trips. About 45 minutes later the breaker was repaired and several test trips were performed successfully...
09/25/2015 HANDLING OF MATERIALS ALL OTHER CASES (INCL 1ST AID) None Employee experienced a 25 db threshold shift in their right ear after being tested and retested. Employee stated that his regular doctor informed him that this ear has ear wax built up in it from a si...
09/02/2015 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None The dump door on the North production skip did not open all the way causing it to get hung up on the structure above the dump chute. Potentially creating a hazard if personnel were traveling in the sh...
09/01/2015 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None 20 conductor wire was rubbed through causing a short, blowing fuses to the #2 hoist. This caused the #2 hoist to go down.
08/14/2015 POWERED HAULAGE DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 12d restricted Employee was drilling in 4 tunnel when another employee pulled up in a skid steer to discuss where to clean next. He was sent to 5 tunnel. As the employee turned the skid steer to exit 4 tunnel, the s...
08/03/2015 MACHINERY PERM TOT OR PERM PRTL DISABLTY 114d restricted Employee was cleaning a plugged cyclone chute in Screen Plant. Employee reached into an open access hatch and finger got caught in Rotary Air Lock Valve. Tip of Right middle finger was amputated.
05/14/2015 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An EE was making a vacuum hose for M-27 Bolter in the Smag Bay. The EE was holding the hose with their left hand and cutting with their right. The force needed to cut the hose to length caused the kni...
03/08/2015 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Power from the NYSEG owned substation was interrupted due to two fuses blown. This caused the #1 and #3 hoists to stop while performing test trips. There were no people underground at this time.
01/26/2015 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 3d restricted January 26th employee was descending from Tractor the heel of his boot caught the bottom step. The employee lost balance and attempted to catch himself from falling; sudden movement caused a pop in th...
12/04/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Hoist would not reset. Employee notified MSHA after 30 minutes of being down. The hoist was down for a total of little over one hour. Maintenance replaced the fuse and started the hoist back up.
09/26/2014 FALL OF ROOF OR BACK ACCIDENT ONLY None An employee noticed the roof fall in an infrequently used travelway of the mine while driving past. Area was bermed off and supervisor was notified immediately. The roof fall was approximately 100ft...
08/07/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None #2 Hoist lost power to console during test trip. Maintenance trouble shooting- discovered water in south brattice box on hoist. Dried water up and replaced solenoid.
07/31/2014 ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT ONLY None Lightning strike during storm, ignited methane bleeder exhaust pipe at number 3 headframe.
06/19/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Hoist lost power to PLC at 12:20 pm. Found shorted horn at collar. Removed short circuited horn from operation. Evacuation started at 12:35 am, cancelled at 1:20 am when hoist returned to normal opera...
06/18/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None #3 hoist down - ground drive fault. Reset ground breaker fixed at 5:30 am. Evacuation started at 4:45 am, cancelled 5:22 am.
06/08/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Power dropped out due to electrical storm, NYSEG fixed, power restored. Hoists are operational.
05/16/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 2:28am, power went out. Upon investigating the surface transformer they noticed the center phase had blown. Realizing power was not going to be restored, MSHA was called, and an evacuation was ini...
05/15/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None 8:15am the #3 Hoist went down.RexRoth card in the West Manifold Cabinet that regulates the pressures for the west calipers went bad.DHS was not able to see the pressures on the west brakes and would n...
05/13/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Brake fault on right brake #3 hoist would not release(brakes were set). Evacuation called at 11pm. Msha called at 11pm. 18 Hourly, 2 salary evacuated from #1 Hoist. Electrical supervisor reset hoist....
04/21/2014 OTHER INJURIES DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES None EE was greasing the hoist. Stood up and felt faint. Pulse was elevated, and numbness in left shoulder. Called Supervisor, and EE was checked out. Decision made to call ambulance was taken to hospital...
04/09/2014 FALL OF ROOF OR BACK ACCIDENT ONLY None EE was mucking out of 2 tunnel in the b/t of U62 in F intersection. Large slab of roof rock lying on top of the muck pile. As EE was mucking he noticed the slab sliding down the pile so he proceeded...
03/29/2014 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Last shift Fri night noise was heard exiting the mine. Found lower NE wear plate folded. Plans made to repair the wear plate and inspect the shaft before the weekend crew came in. Sat morning, wear pl...
02/14/2014 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An EE was sprayed in the face with a 3% sulfuric acid, 97% water solution after a pipe broke in the ED Plant while testing rotation of a pump. The EEs eyes were examined and determined there was a sm...
02/01/2014 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Supervisor had stopped to take lunch at approx. 1am in U62A. Piece of hotdog became lodged just above the entrance of his stomach. Breathing was unaffected. Given the level of the employees discomf...
11/07/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None 415p supervisor notified of strange sound at #3hoist. After investigating the noise it was determined to be coming from the grid coupler between gear box and drum. Evac started @430p out #1 shaft so...
10/22/2013 FALL OF ROOF OR BACK ACCIDENT ONLY None At 2:20pm 2 EE's heard a fall in a bermed off notch of U63A H crosscut. GF investigated and reported at 2:50pm that it was at or above the anchor zone. Incident immediately reported to MSHA. Area berm...
08/15/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Shaft conveyance was being lowered into the mine, transporting personnel. A sound was heard which was reported to the shaft crew supervisor. A guide wear plate caught the upper lip of the steel shaft...
07/03/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None During a routine test trip the brakes set and would not release because the system could not build up the required pressure. Through investigation it was determined that the relief (pilot) valve had f...
06/22/2013 IGNITION OR EXPLOSION OF GAS OR DUST ACCIDENT ONLY None In the #3 shaft near the 900 ft range, a torch was being used to remove old guides in preparation to install new. During this process a piece hot slag fell from the work area and lit a known methane...
06/18/2013 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON ALL OTHER CASES (INCL 1ST AID) None While employees were hoisting a piece of steel which had been removed from the S1 Screen, the weld broke on the pick point allowing the piece of steel to fall, ricochet off the screen and strike the E...
03/29/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 8:38am the #3 hoist tripped out due to a drive fault alarm with shaft crew personnel on work deck.9:01 am evacuation initiated and MSHA notified.9:58am all UG employees out of the mine. Shaft crew...
03/15/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 9:45 #3 hoist displayed encoder fault causing hoist to trip out.10:00pm MSHA notified. Co. contacted to troubleshoot issue.Hoist reset,test trips ran,hoist functioned properly,decision made to brin...
03/14/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Around 0605 #3 hoist kicked out at 200' from the collar. Reset hoist brought crew to surface. MSHA Notified 0614, began evac out #1 hoist. All crews out by 0730. The set screw of the encoder on the h...
01/29/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Around 10:55am the hoist operator noticed a crack in the main block of the HPU for the #1 Hoist. Maintenance called to replace block valve. MSHA Notified at 11:25am. No need for evacuation, #2 & # 3 H...
01/23/2013 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 7:10am the brakes on #3 hoist failed to release. After troubleshooting for 20 minutes (7:30am) the call was made to evacuate out #1 hoist. MSHA was notified at 7:40am. Troubleshot from 9:30-11:45am...
12/03/2012 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None 9:15p #3 brakes wouldn't release. 9:40p mine evac started, MSHA notified.10:45p evac complete, MSHA notified, PLC reset, test trips performed; issue resolved. 3:35a #3 brakes would not release, mine e...
08/21/2012 ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT ONLY None At 4:45 pm a ground fault arrestor in the surface substation blew causing a power outage to the west side of the mine. At this time both #1 and #3 hoists were still operational. 4:52 pm the call was m...
08/14/2012 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None 11:04 pm the mine lost power due to a blown lightning arrestor in the surface substation. 11:15 pm the call was made to evacuate the mine. 11:16 pm MSHA was notified. #3 and #2 hoist were used on gene...
08/10/2012 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 1:57 pm power was lost due to a blown lightning resistor in the surface substation. 2:05pm the decision was made to evacuate the mine, 2:08 pm MSHA was notified. #3 hoist was used on generator powe...
04/09/2012 HOISTING NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None While 2 EEs were riding work deck below chippy, a hose blew on hoist & it began to unreel. Hoist operator hit E-Stop. 1 EE on chippy work deck lost his balance & struck a divider injuring back. He was...
04/04/2012 DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA) OCCUPATNAL ILLNESS NOT DEG 1-6 27d restricted employee has developed tendonitis in both wrists due to cumulative trauma. He has been a shaft worker for 16+ years and operated high impact tools, chipping hammers, jack-legs, air impact wrenches.
03/14/2012 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 2:15 pm the #3 hoist went down due to a broken wear plate. During a test trip, the hoist operator brought the skip into overtravel and a wear plate caught on a guide splice, tearing it off. At 2:30...