MSHA reported that on Jan. 3, a miner at Borger Pit in Hutchinson County, Texas, died when an excavated trench collapsed and engulfed him. The victim was replacing a 12-in. discharge line in the trench when the wall collapsed.
This is the first fatality reported in 2025, and the first classified as “Falling, Rolling or Sliding Rock/Material of Any Kind.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Stay clear of potentially unstable areas. Do not enter trenches if the trench walls are not properly supported for the full height or sloped to a safe angle.
- Establish and discuss safe work procedures before beginning work. Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed and the methods to properly protect persons.
- Follow OSHA Trenching and Excavation Safety Guidelines.
MSHA also reported fatalities at Ellinger Sand & Gravel in Fayette County, Texas, and at a cement plant, GCC Dacotah Inc., in Pennington County, S.D. – the reports are not available yet – plus a fatality at a dimensional stone operation and three fatalities at coal mining operations, for a total of seven fatalities so far in 2025.
MSHA did not report its seventh fatality in 2024 until May 9, underscoring the dangerous start to the year in 2025.