August 4, 2022 - On December 14, 2020, two miners died when a back failure occurred in a large intersection. The miners were drilling in an attempt to intercept water leaks when blocks of salt and anhydrite fell from beneath a slickenside onto the miners.

Best Practices:

• In areas of excessive span or adverse geology:
  
  • Install supplemental ground support to control strata movement.
  • Install sag monitors or extensometers to detect ground movement or strata separation.
  • Drill and evaluate test holes for strata separation using a borescope or scratch test.
• Use geologic hazard mapping to identify adverse conditions.
• Be alert to any change of ground conditions.
• Report hazardous or abnormal conditions.
• Perform thorough workplace examinations where miners work or travel.
• Identify and scale hazardous ground conditions from a safe location.
• Train miners to recognize hazards and follow safe work practices, especially before they perform new tasks.

Miners and mine operators can find safety and health information on MSHA.gov.