In late 2019, a plant electrician with 15 years of mining experience was electrocuted when he contacted an energized connection of a 4,160 VAC electrical circuit. Two more mining fatalities by electrocution have occurred since. The electrocution deaths prompted the MSHA to issue a safety alert.
What is the first category that comes to mind when you think about the hazards that miners face? Chances are it's not electrical, yet electrical accidents are the leading cause of mining fatalities, responsible for more than six percent of all mining industry deaths between 2000 and 2009.
A firefighter in Kentucky is electrocuted after contacting overhead power line, Kentucky. A factory manager dies after bypassing lockout-tagout. A landscaper in Massachusetts working from a raised portable work platform is electrocuted when a pole saw contacts an overhead power line.
