SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration released a report that provides some details on how a mine worker died in January.
John Ogle, 28, was a worker with Vulcan Materials Company in Sevierville and died while working on a large piece of equipment. The MSHA's preliminary report shows 15 employees worked at the mine at the time of the incident.
The final report said Ogle was fatally injured when the swing jaw of the mine's jaw crusher moved while he was performing maintenance. He was pinned between the backside of the swing jaw and the frame of a toggle block.
The report says the incident happened because a mine operator did not block moveable parts of the crusher from hazardous motion, and did not give adequate training for maintenance work. It also says the operator did not conduct an adequate workplace examination.
Ogle worked for Vulcan Construction Materials, which owns and operates Sevierville Quarry. It employs 17 miners in total and primarily mines limestone. Ogle had around two years of mining experience.
The report said he was assigned to replace worn parts on the crusher, and the crew he worked with used a chain hoist attached to the bottom of the swing jaw and crusher frame to pull on the swing jaw, preventing it from moving dangerously.
When one crew finished their work, two metal plates that were part of the swing jaw moved past each other and allowed the jaw to move dangerously, the report said.
Ogle went to the crusher to continue maintenance work at around 2 p.m. when the swing jaw was still at rest "in a nearly vertical position." A coworker went into the crusher chamber to stretch his legs while Ogle tried to remove a toggle bearing.
The coworker then heard "two ratchets" on the chain hoist, which freed the swing jaw and allowed it to move unexpectedly toward Ogle, pinning him.
His coworkers heard him call for help, and one called 911 at around 2:48 p.m. while another called a supervisor. They also went to work trying to release pressure from Ogle, but a 911 operator recommended no pressure be released from Ogle until emergency personnel arrived.
A supervisor went to the scene while another went to the mine's main entrance to direct emergency workers. They arrived at 2:55 p.m. and used rescue tools to remove Ogle from the crusher.
He was taken to the LeConte Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the report, Vulcan Construction Materials was cited twice and two orders were issued against the company.