Underground Black River Operation — Accidents

Total: 200 accidents | Fatalities: 1

Date Classification Injury Days Lost Narrative
01/31/2026 OTHER DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 3d lost EE reported to management at 6:50am on the morning of 02/05/2026 that they had been experiencing lower back pain since 01/31/2026 and that they had received medical treatment and been released without...
01/30/2026 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None While inspecting overhead conduit for shorts and looking up, product fell between an EE's eye protection and hard hat from above and entered their eyes. The EE and supervisor flushed the eyes, but the...
01/18/2026 MACHINERY DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY None A contract laborer was positioned on the downhill side of a brick rig used to install kiln brick when they sustained an injury. They had placed their right hand on the brick rig's platform and when th...
01/18/2026 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY None Installing Brick at Black river in kiln#1 using a pneumatic brick machine. Labor that was injured had improper hand placement on deck of brick machine. Bricklayers move the brick machine and did not c...
12/13/2025 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 6d lost EE on 12/16/2025 reporting back pain, due to an injury on 12/13/2025. They started changing a return roller and felt pain and reported to supervisor, but thought was going to be alright. On 12/16/2025...
10/07/2025 DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA) OCCUPATNAL ILLNESS NOT DEG 1-6 None This report is being filed due to hearing loss detected during annual audiometric testing. Loss was found in employees Left ear.
09/02/2025 ENTRAPMENT ACCIDENT ONLY None On 9/2/2025 two contractors were unable to lower the JLG manlift basket they had been working from due to a blown circuit power fuse. Another manlift was on site and it was used to transport the two s...
09/02/2025 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None On 9/2/2025 two employees were unable to lower the rental JLG manlift basket they were working from due to a blown circuit power fuse. Another manlift on site was used to get the two employees safely...
08/11/2025 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 26d lost EE was traveling between number 2 and number 3 kiln at ground level when they slipped and fell. This fall caused their left leg to bend back under them and caused pain to left knee.
08/07/2025 POWERED HAULAGE NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None EE states while moving a manlift from the operator's basket EE sustained an injury to EE's mouth. While the machine was in motion, EE hit a hole in the roadway resulting in a bounce causing EE's mouth...
06/27/2025 FALL OF ROOF OR BACK ACCIDENT ONLY None At approximately 10:30PM Friday June 27, 2025, a roof fall was found in 13w/95. Due to being above the anchor point MSHA was notified by phone. MSHA representatives where on site and issued a K-order...
05/30/2025 POWERED HAULAGE NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An underground employee was injured during the unsafe operation of a Kawaski ATV Mule. The employee was traveling as a passenger on the ATV which was being driven in reverse by another employee. This...
05/30/2025 POWERED HAULAGE NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An underground employee was injured on 5/30/2025, during the unsafe operation of a Kawasaki ATV Mule. The employee was traveling in reverse and rolled the ATV with another employee on board. This inci...
03/30/2025 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Employee states rust entered EE's right eye while using a chain hoist at the surface wash plant. A piece of rust dislodged from the steel beam the hoist was attached to. The incident happened on 3/30/...
03/10/2025 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None Management was made aware at approximately 9:40 pm on 3/10/2025 that material was on the primary escapeway track. MSHA was notified and miners were evaluated using the secondary escapeway. It was dete...
12/23/2024 OTHER NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None EE states wind blew dust in EE's right eye on 12/23/2024 at approximately 9:00 am in the plant area. EE tried washing EE's eye and had another employee try again just before the end of EE's shift. At...
12/10/2024 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 70d lost, 21d restricted EE reported pain in right shoulder after attempting to move a water line connected to a relief valve. As EE was moving the hose it became charged with water causing EE's right arm to be thrown up and...
11/15/2024 STEPPING OR KNEELING ON OBJECT DAYS RESTRICTED ACTIVITY ONLY 51d restricted While field tech was getting down from the back of their work truck, they noticed a pop in their knee. Anytime now they extend their leg down they notice a pop and feel pain.
11/13/2024 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 63d lost 4/8/2025 management was notified that employee was reporting an incident/injury that they state occurred on 11/13/2024. Employee states injury occurred when pulling a fire hose over a hand railing loc...
10/15/2024 DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA) OCCUPATNAL ILLNESS NOT DEG 1-6 None This report is being filed due to some hearing loss detected during the annual audiometric testing.
08/31/2024 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 13d lost, 40d restricted EE was assisting in moving an electric motor when EE felt pain in EE's back. Three mechanics were dragging an electric 30 hp motor over a steel graded floor when one of the employees complained of bac...
07/09/2024 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 60d lost, 101d restricted The hydrate operator reported feeling a pop in EE's right shoulder and numbness in EE's right arm after using a sledgehammer. EE was striking the Pre-Mixer due to material build up when this incident...
05/12/2024 FIRE ACCIDENT ONLY None On 5/12/2024 smoke and a smell were reported at the top of the underground slope. MSHA was notified and the mine rescue team started underground exploration. The team found a mechanics' standing toolb...
04/10/2024 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 23d lost, 17d restricted On 4/10/2024 an employee reported they had slipped on steps going to the barge loadout. They continued to work regular until 4/16/2024 when they requested to be seen by a doctor due to pain in right k...
02/13/2024 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None On 3/26/2024 EE reported that EE had an accident on 2/13/2024. EE states EE was struck by a piece of chain in the front of EE's mouth causing tooth damage.
12/02/2023 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None The EE was installing a drive line on a Caterpillar 980M front end loader in the shop area when left middle finger became pinched. Seven stitches were required to close the open wound.
10/27/2023 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An employee received an eye injury after getting lime in left eye. After using the vac system to remove material from the screen floor employee started cutting corrugated 4-inch vac hose into manageab...
08/24/2023 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None A mechanic received lime burns on both upper extremities while working in the product bins. The burns were located on the anterior region in the crease where the arm and forearm join. Medication was p...
08/24/2023 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT None EE was unloading tools from work truck and while carrying a bucket tripped. This injury was the result of a trip over a piece of scrap conveyor belt with EE's left foot. EE states EE twisted and buckl...
06/11/2023 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 40d lost EE reported pain in upper back after lifting a chain hoist. The hoist had been placed in a five-gallon bucket for transport and weight approximately 45 lb. As the EE lifted the bucket, EE states the p...
05/15/2023 OTHER DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 12d lost After an employee exited a Kawasaki side by side, EE rotated on EE's left foot to reach EE's lunch box in the back. When EE turned back, EE felt a pop in EE's left calf muscle.
05/04/2023 EXPLODING VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None An employee was injured while attempting to make repairs to an underground slurry line. As the last of four bolts was being removed stored pressure sprayed lime slurry on the EE injuring right eye.
04/12/2023 FIRE ACCIDENT ONLY None Management was made aware at approximately 9:10 a.m. on 4/12/2023 that there was coal on fire in # 3 storage silo. MSHA was notified at 9:39 a.m. The fire was determined to be out on 4/13/2023 and the...
03/27/2023 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 126d lost, 33d restricted As the employee removed the last bolt in the flange coupling the unsecured pipe riser started to fall. In an attempt to keep the approximate 100 lb. pipe valve assembly from striking the concrete floo...
03/06/2023 POWERED HAULAGE ACCIDENT ONLY None Management was made aware at 11:30 am that the telehandler been used to clean in the slope would not start and was blocking the slope car. It was located about 600 feet from the slope bottom. MSHA was...
06/08/2022 HOISTING ACCIDENT ONLY None At 2:50PM on 6/8/2022 MSHA Arlington Headquarters was notified that we were bringing everyone out of the mine due to the Slope Hoist Rope meeting retirement criteria. MSHA was also made aware that we...
06/02/2022 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 194d lost, 82d restricted During the task of lifting a drill steel, EE felt pain in their back. With help from another employee the EE was lifting a 10-foot drill steel from the storage rack. As EE lifted their end of the stee...
05/11/2022 HANDLING OF MATERIALS NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Client did not inform of dangers from poor housekeeping, improper material storage and lack of notification/signage/barricade/training, etc. As a result worker received burns on leg and went to urgent...
05/05/2022 MACHINERY DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 3d lost An employee was observing the shooting of an ash ring in # 1 kiln when EE felt a piece of material enter left eye. After attempts to wash the eye on site EE was taken to taken to a physician for treat...
05/04/2022 FALL OF ROOF OR BACK ACCIDENT ONLY None A roof fall above the anchorage points was discovered on May 4,2022 at approximately 9:00 a.m. in the I 17/104 area. MSHA was notified by phone at approximately 1:00 p.m. on 5/4/2022 of the incident....
03/28/2022 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 19d lost EE states on 3/28/2022 while exiting the underground powder truck they slipped and fell. This fall resulted in pain to left thoracic side. The incident was not reported to management until 3/29/2022....
03/22/2022 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 134d lost EE slipped and fell after stepping on a plate that had been removed from a roof bolter. The employee had removed a plate from a roof bolter and leaned it against a UTV Gator. Then needing to use the G...
02/01/2022 SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON NO DYS AWY FRM WRK,NO RSTR ACT None Installing boom attachment on equipment, missed handhold on machine and lost balance falling off machine landing hard on feet causing pain in back and right knee.
10/18/2021 HANDLING OF MATERIALS DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 62d lost An employee was changing a valve in a pump. EE was leaning over to pull or pulling up/over the lines and felt a catch in their back. EE went back to work and completed the job and finished the day out...
10/12/2021 DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA) OCCUPATNAL ILLNESS NOT DEG 1-6 None This report is being filed due to some hearing loss detected during the annual audiometric testing.
10/12/2021 DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA) OCCUPATNAL ILLNESS NOT DEG 1-6 None This report is being filed due to some hearing loss detected during the annual audiometric testing.
09/22/2021 OTHER DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 5d lost The employee was doing routine maintenance on a roof bolter and when EE stepped over a grease hose felt pain in legs, lower back, and knees. EE was working at ground level and states: raised left foot...
08/14/2021 HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED) DAYS AWAY FROM WORK ONLY 60d lost An employee was injured while working in #1 kiln. EE was hand scaling down coating in the kiln shell when a piece fell and struck EE's left foot. This contact resulted in two fractures to EE's left fo...
05/18/2021 POWERED HAULAGE ALL OTHER CASES (INCL 1ST AID) None Employee reported that EE injured neck when EE was jostled inside the haul truck while being loaded.
03/02/2021 POWERED HAULAGE DYS AWY FRM WRK & RESTRCTD ACT 3d lost, 21d restricted An employee was injured while operating a Toro Dingo. Operator entered 200 Tunnel in a forward direction and proceeded down the incline. EE filled loader bucket with muck, raising it approximately 3 f...