Translate
Inspection Detail
Inspection: 111968111 - Washington & Niagra Mine
Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento Mining & Tunneling District Office
Site Address:
Washington & Niagra Mine
10000 French Gulch Rd
French Gulch, CA 96033
Mailing Address:
Po Box 127, French Gulch, CA 96033
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:1041
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Complete
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 09/22/1994
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 04/25/1996
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 361262496 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||
| Current Violations | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $6,500 | $0 | $0 | $250 | $0 | $6,750 |
| Current Penalty | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $750 | $0 | $3,750 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Other | 7165 | 02/02/1995 | 03/22/1995 | $50 | $50 | $0 | - | ||
| 2. | 01002 | Other | 23950051 A03 | 02/02/1995 | 09/11/1994 | $200 | $200 | $0 | - | ||
| 3. | 02001 | Other | 7183 A03 | 02/02/1995 | 09/22/1994 | $250 | $500 | $0 | J - ALJ Decision | ||
| 4. | 03001 | Other | 6973 G | 02/02/1995 | 09/06/1994 | $250 | $3,000 | $0 | J - ALJ Decision | ||
| 5. | 04001 | Serious | 7183 A07 | 02/02/1995 | 09/06/1994 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $0 | J - ALJ Decision |
Investigation Summary
The manager of a mine had gone to the mine on a Monday evening following a holiday weekend. He went underground, alone, early in the evening to check on the condition of a sump pump. His body was found the next morning by the mining crew. The 1-horsepower, 240-volt submersible pump, which was located near the face of a decline sub-level that was about 30 feet below the main level, was manufactured by ABS Pump, Inc. The pump had been operating normally at the end of the shift the previous Friday. Without deenergizing the pump, the mine manager apparently began dragging the pump back to the shaft. The employee sustained an electric shock, became paralyzed, and drowned. An investigation revealed two faults in the circuit to the pump: a conductor within the motor's junction box was pinched to ground, and a break in the insulation on the pump's power supply cord exposed a conductor to water. The circuit protective devices for the pump circuit did not open because the neutral on the secondary side of the circuit's step-down transformer was not bonded to the equipment grounding conductor.
Keywords: ELEC INSULATION, E GI IV, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC PUMP, GROUND FAULT, EQUIPMENT GROUNDING, ELECTRIC SHOCK, DROWN, ELECTRIC CORD, WATER
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 111968111 | Fatality | Electric Shock | Supervisors, extractive occupations |