newsminer.com

FAIRBANKS — A contractor was fined $115,000 for safety violations related to the July 2007 deaths of two ironworkers during a construction project at Alaska Gold Co.’s Rock Creek Mine in Nome.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration levied the penalty against Alaska Mechanical Inc. for inadequate training and unsafe equipment use.

According to MSHA, contract ironworkers Tyler Kahle, 19, and Craig Bagley, 28, were killed by blunt force trauma when a manlift they were on fell over. They were among Alaska Mechanical crews constructing the mine mill and related processing facilities. Open pit mining had not started.

In a prepared statement, Alaska Mechanical Chief Financial Officer Kurt Imig said that nothing has been so hard in 33 years of business as the workers’ deaths.

“We deeply feel for the families, coworkers and friends that have been hurt by this accident,” Imig said.

MSHA spokesperson Amy Louviere said the monetary fines are the only penalty attached to the citations. Surface mines are generally inspected twice each year, while underground mines are evaluated quarterly, she said.

MSHA official Richard E. Stickler said in a release that management policies and procedures fell short of the company’s responsibility to train employees before they are assigned to operate equipment.

The victims were bolting a metal roof to the mill building, MSHA said. Near the end of their shift, they were getting ready to ride the lift to the ground when it became unsteady. The lift basket hit the side of the mill, toppling a boom. Both men were tied off to the basket.

The federal investigation found the manlift hadn’t been set on solid ground and that the hydraulic cylinder for the lift wasn’t designed for load-bearing support while the boom is in operation. Investigators also said the manlift operator wasn’t properly trained.

Imig said that the company still questions the causes of the accident, despite MSHA’s investigation.

“There are a lot of questions. They (inspectors) look and say training was inadequate for the operator. We don’t know how they came to some of their conclusions yet,” Imig said. “We definitely want to focus on the future, and part of focusing on the future is knowing what happened in the past.”

Alaska Mechanical Inc. specializes in large industrial facilities and has offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Imig said the company has had no serious accidents.