Staff Reports
SAFFORD – A contract employee at the Safford mine was hospitalized on Thursday, Dec. 19, after being injured in an electrical incident at Freeport-McMoran’s Safford Operations.
Freeport External Communications Manager James Telle stated that FMI has released this statement.
“A contractor employee suffered injuries from a suspected arc flash incident that occurred Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Safford mine,” said FMI Communications Vice President Linda Hayes. “The contractor was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. We are investigating the cause of the incident and will make any necessary changes to prevent similar incidents.”
The mine has run mostly without serious medical incidents. However, there was a fatality in the early operation of the mine in September 2007 in which electrical contractor Gilbert Guerra, 46, died from injuries sustained when he contacted an electrical fuse and gear switch handle. A report released by the Mine Safety & Health Administration listed the mine’s policies regarding the electrical circuits as inadequate due to not ensuring the circuit was not live before anyone performed work on it. On April 9, 2016, Bryan Ortiz, 25, was fatally injured in an electrical incident when he was electrocuted by an energized flange on the electrolyte return. According to the MSHA report, the accident occurred “due to management’s failure to insulate or guard energized flanges on the electrolyte return and failure to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the electrical hazards that existed”
