Fatality #3 for Coal Mining 2015

c03On March 8, 2015, a 45-year old assistant longwall coordinator with twelve years of experience was killed while working a longwall section.  The victim was shoveling loose material between the longwall face and the pan line when a large piece of rock, 12 feet long by 5 feet wide by 1 foot thick, fell from the face and struck him.

Best Practices

  • Conduct thorough and more frequent examinations of the roof, face, and ribs, when abnormal conditions are present.  Watch for frequently changing conditions.
  • Scale hazardous roof, face, or rib conditions and adequately support the areas before any work or travel is permitted.  Ensure that a bar of suitable length and design is used when removing loose or unconsolidated material.
  • Install longwall shield extensions to cover a portion of the face and minimize unsupported areas.
  • Implement policies, programs, procedures, and controls to protect miners working in the face conveyor areas.
  • Reinstruct all miners in hazard recognition, adequate support methods, and safe work practices when abnormal conditions or circumstances are present on the longwall face.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf)

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