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DOT Report Of Investigation: On Arizona Mining Accident

Lon J. Matthews, plant operator, age 31, was fatally injured on July 21, 2005, when he became entangled in an unguarded tail pulley. Matthews had removed a tail pulley guard to repair the feed hopper conveyor belt. He then started the conveyor belt and was working near the tail pulley when his left arm became caught.

Description Of Accident 
On the day of the accident, Lon Matthews, (victim) reported for work about 7:20 a.m., his normal starting time. Matthews' duties included feeding material into the plant hopper as well as maintenance, repair work, and safety inspections for the entire operation. He also loaded over-the-road haul trucks owned and operated by the company. Allen Matthews operated an over-the-road haul truck and was delivering material to a customer located near the operation.

About noon, Lon Matthews contacted Allen Matthews and told him that the splice in the feed hopper conveyor belt needed replaced. After lunch, he started splicing the belt. At 4:30 p.m., Allen Matthews picked up his last load of material for the day and saw Lon Matthews splicing the conveyor belt. Sometime after Allen Matthews left, the victim completed splicing the conveyor belt, walked a short distance to the motor control trailer, and started the conveyor belt.

Approximately 6:30 p.m., Allen Matthews drove past the pit and noticed Lon Matthews' pickup truck parked at the feed hopper. He pulled into the pit to see if his brother needed any help. Allen Matthews parked his truck, approached the feed hopper, and saw the victim's left arm entangled in the tail pulley. He immediately called for emergency medical assistance. He ran to the motor control trailer and attempted to reverse the direction of the belt. The conveyor belt stalled and the starter overloads tripped. He reset the starter overloads, reversed the motor leads on two of the three conductors to reverse the rotation of the motor and belt, and started the conveyor, freeing the victim. Allen Matthews administered cardio pulmonary resuscitation until local emergency personnel arrived. The victim was transported to a nearby medical center where he was pronounced dead. Death was caused by asphyxiation, attributed to trauma.

Enforcement Actions:
Order No. 6308583 was issued on July 22, 2005, under the provisions of Section 103(k) of the Mine Act:

If you or your loved one have been in an accident that involved a serious injury, know your legal rights by contacting the nearest Accident Attorney.

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