September 6, 2023 – On January 23, 2023, a utility management miner died, and another miner was seriously injured, while removing unused waterline pipe suspended from a mine roof.  The two miners were using hand tools to remove a pipe fitting when the waterline pipe suddenly came apart, striking the victim.  

Best Practices:

Operators should:

• Release stored energy and pressure from pipes (block and bleed) before breaking a pipe connection.
• Lock out, tag out, and block equipment from movement before performing maintenance or repairs.
• Train miners in the safe performance of their tasks.

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