Three separate incidents occurred on August 3rd in the mining industry resulting the the deaths of three separate miners in three different states.  The following accidents happened on August 3rd:

• A loader operator was standing outside his vehicle at a sand a gravel min in North Dakota when he was engulfed by a stockpile failure.
• A gold miner in Nevada was killed when he was struck by mobile equipment.
• An 18 year old plant operator was buried and killed when a silo collapsed burying him under tons of sand and stone.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for MSHA – Joseph Main says that the agency will step up investigations with a focus on violations that are most common to miners deaths.  Inspectors will walk and talk with miners and operators to make sure best practices and safety is at the forefront of mining to ensure another day like this does not happen again.  Not since 2002 have three miners died in a single day.

New workplace examinations were put into place on July 22nd, the requirements included; mine operators examining the workplace once a shift, a competent person must do the inspections, and a record must be made and available for review.