Lucky Friday Closed For Hoist Repair

Hecla Mining Co. will close its Lucky Friday Mine starting Monday to repair the bearings on the hoist system in the Silver Shaft.

The company will lay off 75 workers until the maintenance is complete. That should be four days at most, said Bill Booth, head of investor relations at Hecla.

The hoist bearing was damaged in the Aug. 30 accident that idled the mine for nearly three months last year. Safety equipment failed in that accident and allowed the ore cage or “skip” to slam up against the top of the shaft and damaged the hoist.

Hecla engineers are confident they can complete the work in as little as three days, Booth said.