The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released their final report of investigation on the fatal accident that occured
on August 3rd
in the Deserado Mine in Rangely, Colorado that resulted in the death of a Vernal man. The tragic accident took the life of 32-year-old Jason Stevens who was found under a two-ton trough at the mine production facility. The MSHA report concludes that “the accident occurred because the mine operator did not ensure that the water box being dismantled was securely blocked against motion during the process.” The report explains that Stevens was an experienced miner with over 12 years of experience and that he was up-to-date on all trainings including Safe Operating Guidelines. The report states that the root cause of the accident was that the “metal strip that was left to hold the water box in place on the east end was not sufficient” which “allowed the water box to shift and fall on the victim.” The corrective action outlined is that mine management must “ensure blocking against motion of all materials and equipment in future projects.” Prior to this fatality, the mine had gone 504 days without a lost time accident.
https://www.msha.gov/data-reports/fatality-reports/2017/fatality-11-august-3-2017/final-report
