Fall of Roof or Back

MNM Fatality – 4/11/23

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 On April 11, 2023, a miner died when a 12-foot by 4-foot by 5-foot rock slab slid out of the rib from the hanging wall and crushed him. The miner was installing a bolt in the rib of a slusher stope. 

Best Practices

  • Design, install, and maintain suitable ground support where miners work or travel.
  • Examine and test ground conditions immediately before starting any work in an area and as conditions warrant during the shift.
  • Periodically review mining methods and ground support to ensure they are suitable for conditions.
  • Be alert to changing ground conditions.
  • Train miners on how to identify hazardous ground conditions and install suitable support.

Additional Information

This is the 16th fatality reported in 2023, and the second classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 3/18/23

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On March 18, 2023, a miner died when the mine roof collapsed during the installation of standing roof support (crib) as part of the longwall recovery cycle.  The accident occurred in an area adjacent to a longwall shield.

Best Practices

  • Follow the approved Roof Control Plan.
  • Design, install, and maintain roof support where miners work or travel.
  • Never travel under unsupported roof. 
  • Conduct a visual examination of the roof, face, and ribs immediately before starting work in an area.
  • Be alert to changing roof conditions, especially during longwall recovery.

Additional Information

This is the 13th fatality reported in 2023, and the first classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 3/20/22

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On March 20, 2022, a 33 year-old miner died when he was struck by a roof fall while moving a waterline outby the retreat mining section.  The intersection of the fall area was supported with five-foot fully grouted roof bolts and 10-foot cable bolts.  The roof fall was approximately 40 feet long, 18 feet wide, and five feet thick. 

Best Practices: 

  • Conduct a visual examination of the roof, face, and ribs immediately before any work is started in an area.
  • Be alert to changing roof conditions, especially during retreat mining.
  • Train miners on how to identify hazardous roof and rib conditions.

Additional Information: 

This is the 11th fatality reported in 2022, and the second classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatality – 1/7/22

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On January 7, 2022, a 49 year-old front-end loader operator with 15 years of mining experience died when a large rock fell from the mine roof, crushing the cab of the front-end loader.  When the accident occurred, the victim was loading material from a recently blasted shot. 

Best Practices: 

  • Scale the back and ribs before performing work in an area.
  • Conduct examinations of the back, face, and ribs where miners work and travel.
  • Install suitable ground support where conditions warrant.
  • Use geologic hazard mapping to identify adverse conditions and be aware of changing ground conditions.
  • Train miners to identify workplace hazards and take action to correct them.

Additional Information: 

This is the first fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.”

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 5/14/21

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On May 14, 2021, a 32 year old* continuous mining machine operator with 11 years experience* was fatally injured when a piece of rock fell from the roof and struck him at an underground coal mine with 17 employees*. The victim was working under unsupported roof in the Number 1 entry.

Best Practices: 

  • Never work or travel under unsupported roof.  
  • Thoroughly examine the roof, face and ribs where people will be working and traveling, including sound and vibration testing.
  • Scale loose roof and ribs from a safe location. Prevent access to unsupported and hazardous areas until appropriate corrective measures can be taken.
  • Follow the approved roof control plan and provide additional support when cracks or other abnormalities are detected. Never exceed the maximum cut depth specified in the approved roof control plan.
  • Mark the second to last row of bolts with reflective material and train miners not to travel inby this location.
  • Train miners to identify hazards from the roof, face and ribs.

Additional Information: 

This is the 11th fatality reported in 2021, and the first classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data.)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

MNM Fatalities (2) – 12/14/20

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On December 14, 2020, two miners (age 27 & 41 with 22 weeks & 27 weeks experience*) died when a back failure occurred in a large four-way intersection (at a mine in Avery Island, LA with 200 employees*). The miners were pumping sealing grout in the intersection when blocks of salt and anhydrite fell from beneath a slickenside onto the miners.

Best Practices: 

  • In areas of excessive span or adverse geology:
    • Install supplemental ground support to control strata movement.
    • Install sag monitors or extensometers to detect ground movement or strata separation.
    • Drill and evaluate test holes for strata separation using a borescope or scratch test.
  • Use geologic hazard mapping to identify adverse conditions.
  • Be alert to any change of ground conditions.
  • Report hazardous or abnormal conditions.
  • Perform thorough workplace examinations where miners work or travel.
  • Identify and scale hazardous ground conditions from a safe location.
  • Train miners to recognize hazards and follow safe work practices, especially before they perform new tasks.

Additional Information: 

These are the 27th and 28th fatalities reported in 2020, and the second and third classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.” (*details added by safeminers.com from MSHA data)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Coal Fatality – 10/27/20

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On Oct. 27, 2020, a miner (age 37 with 1 year 40 weeks experience*) was digging a hole (in an underground mine in Williamstown, PA with 8 employees*) to install a wooden post for roof control when a section of the roof fell on him.

Best Practices: 

  • Thoroughly examine the roof, face, and ribs where people will be working and traveling, including sound and vibration testing where applicable.
  • Scale loose roof and ribs from a safe location. Prevent access to hazardous areas until appropriate corrective measures can be taken.
  • Set temporary support before installing permanent support.
  • Be alert for changing conditions and report abnormal roof or rib conditions to mine management and other miners.
  • Know and follow the approved roof control plan and provide additional support when cracks or other abnormalities are detected. Remember, the approved roof control plan contains minimum requirements.
  • Propose revisions to the roof control plan to provide measures to control roof hazards.

Additional Information: 

This is the 23rd fatality reported in 2020, and the first classified as “Fall of Roof or Back.” (* Italicized details added by safeminers.com)

Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Fatality #14 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2018

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On October 25, 2018, a 42-year old miner with 13 years of experience was killed when the back fell while he was loading explosives in the face.  The back was comprised of cemented backfill and weighed approximately 150 tons.

Best Practices

  • Implement a robust quality control program to ensure cemented rock fill is mixed and placed properly, especially when it constitutes the main method of ground support.
  • Examine and test ground conditions in areas where work is to be performed prior to work commencing and as warranted during the shift.  Be alert for changing conditions, especially after activities that could cause back/roof disturbance.
  • When ground conditions create a hazard to persons, install additional ground support before other work is permitted in the affected area.
  • Task train all persons to recognize all potentially hazardous conditions and ensure they understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Fatality #13 for Coal Mining 2017

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On Thursday, September 28, 2017, a 39-year-old miner with ten years of mining experience received fatal injuries when coal from the longwall face rolled out and completely covered him. The victim was assisting with roof bolting by untangling the mesh during the longwall recovery process. At the time of the accident, the victim was located between the coal face and the pan line.

Best Practices

  • DO NOT ENTER the panline, or any immediate work area, unless the roof and longwall face have been made safe. This includes reducing exposure by minimizing the distance from the face to the tips of the shield.
  • Scale roof, face, and ribs with a bar of suitable length and design or other safe means.
  • Ensure miners are trained on the minimum requirements of the approved roof control plan.
  • Conduct thorough and more frequent examinations of the roof, face, and ribs when miners work or travel close to the longwall face, and continuously monitor for changing conditions
  • Before beginning a longwall recovery, ensure miners are trained to recognize the hazards associated with the recovery area.
  • Be aware of and correct potential hazards when working or traveling near mine ribs, especially when conditions exist that could cause roof or rib disturbance.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).

Fatality #5 for Coal Mining 2017

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On February 23, 2017, a 62-year-old section foreman was seriously injured by falling roof rock in the No. 3 entry of the active working section.  The rock fell from between roof bolts and was approximately 3 feet by 2 feet by 3 to 4 inches thick.  First-aid was administered and the injured miner was transported to a medical center.  Due to medical complications from the injuries he sustained, the victim died on April 6, 2017.

Best Practices

  • Install the most effective roof “skin” control technique, screen wire mesh, when roof bolts are installed.  Most roof fall injuries are caused by rock falling from between roof bolts (failure of the roof skin).
  • Conduct thorough examinations of the roof, face, and ribs where persons will be working and traveling; including sound and vibration testing where applicable.
  • Scale loose roof and ribs from a safe location.  Danger-off hazardous areas until appropriate corrective measures can be taken.
  • Be alert for changing conditions and report abnormal roof or rib conditions to mine management and other miners.
  • Correct all hazardous conditions before allowing persons to work or travel in such areas.  Install and examine test holes regularly for changes in roof strata.
  • Propose revisions to the roof control plan to provide measures to control roof skin hazards.
  • Know and follow the approved roof control plan and provide additional support when cracks or other abnormalities are detected.  Remember, the approved roof control plan contains minimum requirements.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).