Underground

Fatality #7 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c07On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at approximately 4:55 p.m., a 63-year-old roof bolter with 40 years of mining experience was killed when he was struck by a large piece of roof rock while installing a rib bolt on the right side of the number 8 right crosscut on the No. 1 Section. The victim was between the drill head and the ATRS when the roof fell on him. The rock was approximately 6 feet long by 5.5 feet wide and about 5 inches thick.

Best Practices

  • Conduct frequent and adequate examinations of the roof, face, and ribs. Be alert for changing conditions at all times. When hazardous conditions are detected, danger off access to the area until it is made safe for work and travel.
  • Develop and follow safe rib bolting procedures. Consult the manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Adequately support, or scale down, any loose roof or rib material from a safe location before working or traveling in the area.
  • Ensure that Automated Temporary Roof Support (ATRS) systems on all roof bolting machines are maintained in good working condition.
  • Ensure that the approved Roof Control Plan is followed and is suitable for the geologic conditions encountered at the mine. If conditions change and cause the plan to no longer be suitable, the plan must be revised to provide adequate support for the control of the roof, face, and ribs.

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

Fatality #6 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c06On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, a 44-year old shuttle car operator, with four years of experience, was killed when he was pinned underneath the battery end of a section scoop. The accident occurred on the No. 3 Section in the first connecting crosscut inby the feeder between the Number 5 and 6 entries. The victim was shoveling along the ribs of the crosscut when a battery-powered scoop backed into the crosscut, striking him.

Best Practices

  • Train miners to establish and use effective means of communication while operating and working around mobile equipment.
  • Know your location relative to the movement of mobile equipment and never position yourself between any piece of equipment in motion and a stationary object. Assume the equipment operator has not seen you, unless eye contact is confirmed and signal your presence to equipment operators.
  • Install and utilize Proximity Detection Systems on continuous mining machines and haulage equipment to prevent these types of accidents and fatalities. See More…
  • Use cameras mounted on section haulage equipment and utility equipment, such as scoops, to improve the visibility of machine operators.
  • When operating equipment, sound audible warnings when traveling around turns or blind spots, through ventilation curtains, and any other time the equipment operator’s visibility is limited or obstructed.
  • Never position extraneous material or supplies on top of mobile equipment, or position the machine’s batteries in a manner which can interfere with or obstruct the visibility of the machine operator.

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

Fatality #5 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c05On Tuesday, February 12, 2013, a 51-year-old motorman with 31 years of mining experience was seriously injured while attempting to re-rail a shield carrier. The shield carrier was raised with an air bag. The victim was attempting to straighten the wheels and pry the wheel flange high enough to clear the rail. As the wheel flange cleared the rail, the shield carrier shifted, causing the slate bar to fly back and strike the victim in the face. The victim later died of the injury.
Best Practices

  • Block or secure equipment being raised against motion so it cannot suddenly shift.
  • Always be aware of the stored potential energy when raising or lowering items.
  • Make sure the lifting device has a secure base before lifting an item.
  • When lifting items and the desired height cannot be reached, block the item in position and lower the lifting device to establish a higher base.
  • Ensure that personnel are trained to recognize hazardous work procedures where inadvertent movements could cause injury.
  • Discuss work procedures and identify all hazards associated with the work to be performed, along with the methods to protect personnel.
  • Ensure personnel are equipped with proper equipment and are knowledgeable of safe procedures for rerailing.

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

Fatality #4 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c04On Wednesday, February 13, 2013, a 28-year-old continuous mining machine operator was killed when he was pinned between the tail of the remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib. The victim had mined the first two lifts of the cut sequence in the No. 1 entry. While repositioning the continuous mining machine to mine the final cut on left side, the victim was pinned between the tail of the machine and the coal rib on the right side. The victim had 4 years and 2 months of mining experience, with 6 months of experience as a continuous mining machine operator.
Best Practices

  • Install and maintain proximity detection systems. See the proximity detection single source page on the MSHA website.
  • Develop programs, policies, and procedures for starting and tramming remote controlled continuous mining machines.
  • Frequently review, retrain, and discuss avoiding the “RED ZONE” areas when operating or working near a remote controlled continuous mining machine.
  • Train all production crews and management in the programs, policies, and procedures and ensure that they are followed.
  • Ensure that mining machine operators are in a safe location while tramming the continuous mining machine from place to place or repositioning in the entry during cutting and loading.
  • Ensure everyone is outside the machine turning radius before starting or moving the equipment.
  • When moving continuous mining machines where the left and right traction drives are operated independently, low tram speed should be used.
  • Assign another miner to assist the continuous mining machine operator when it is being moved or repositioned.
  • Train all persons in the programs, policies, and procedures for operating or working near remote controlled continuous mining machines. Additional information on preventing these types of accidents can be found at: MSHA’s Safety Targets Program Hit By Underground Equipment.

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

Fatality #3 for Coal Mining 2013

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ftl2013c03On Thursday, February 7, 2013, at approximately 9:20 p.m., a 43-year-old utility man was killed when he was pinned underneath the scoop he was operating at the bottom of a service shaft. The victim and two other miners were unloading trash from a scoop bucket insert with the scoop bucket positioned on the hoist platform. The hoist unexpectedly started moving up the shaft. This raised the front end of the scoop, which slipped away from the hoist deck and fell suddenly. The victim was found underneath the operator’s deck of the scoop.

Best Practices

  • Ensure that an adequate delay time is provided between the activation of visual and/or audible alarms and the movement of the hoist, so that workers can react and move clear of dangerous areas.
  • Conduct thorough examinations of all hoisting equipment and safety mechanisms on a daily basis. Ensure that persons conducting these examinations are trained adequately and any deficiencies identified are corrected immediately.
  • Discuss work procedures and identify all hazards associated with the work to be performed along with the methods to properly protect persons.
  • Communicate work activities prior to beginning the work and maintain communications during the work activity.
  • Develop and implement a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the safe operation of service hoists and man hoists, train all of the miners involved in hoisting operations, and post these procedures near the hoist control panels in a conspicuous location.
  • Provide redundant safety mechanisms that provide a more fail proof check of the system before the hoist can be operated.
  • When possible, secure the cage mechanically to prevent cage motion due to suspension rope stretch during loading or other unintended motion.
  • Design Electrical safety circuits so that an open circuit does not represent a safe condition and the functioning of the safety circuit should not be solely dependent on a single programmable electronic system.
  • Ensure that the hoist is inoperable during loading and unloading operations.

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

Fatality #18 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Friday, November 30, 2012, a 27-year old electrician was killed when he was caught between a battery-powered maintenance scoop and the cutting head of a continuous mining machine. The accident occurred on a working section while the electrician was performing maintenance work on the cutting head of the continuous mining machine, which was parked in an entry.

Best Practices
  • Be aware of your location relative to mobile equipment movement and never position yourself between equipment in motion and a stationary object.
  • Mark the area where equipment is parked for maintenance with conspicuous reflective material, flashing lights, or other warning signs on both sides of the entry or crosscut to warn mobile equipment operators of a parked machine or the presence of other miners.
  • Train miners to establish and use effective communications working around equipment. Ensure that mobile equipment operators are aware of your location at all times.
  • Use approved translucent or transparent ventilation curtains for better visibility. Never put extraneous material or supplies on mobile equipment where it can obstruct the visibility of the machine operator.
  • When operating equipment, sound audible warnings while traveling around turns or blind spots, through ventilation curtains, and at any time the operator’s visibility is limited or obstructed.
  • Install proximity detection systems on all mobile face equipment.

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

Fatality #17 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, November 17, 2012, a 30-year-old continuous mining machine operator was killed when he was pinned between the head of the remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib. The victim had 3 years of mining experience, with 20 weeks of experience as a continuous mining machine operator. The victim had mined the left side of an entry and was repositioning the continuous mining machine to mine the right side when the accident occurred.

Best Practices

  • Install and maintain proximity detection systems. See the proximity detection single source page on the MSHA website.
  • Develop programs, policies, and procedures for starting and tramming remote controlled continuous mining machines.
  • Frequently review, retrain, and discuss avoiding the “RED ZONE” areas when operating or working near a remote controlled continuous mining machine.
  • Train all production crews and management in the programs, policies, and procedures and ensure that they are followed.
  • Ensure that mining machine operators are in a safe location while tramming the continuous mining machine from place to place or repositioning in the entry during cutting and loading.
  • Ensure everyone is outside the machine turning radius before starting or moving the equipment.
  • When moving continuous mining machines where the left and right traction drives are operated independently, low tram speed should be used.
  • Assign another miner to assist the continuous mining machine operator when it is being moved or repositioned. Train all persons in the programs, policies, and procedures for operating or working near remote controlled continuous mining machines. Additional information on preventing these types of accidents can be found at:MSHA’s Safety Targets Program Hit By Underground Equipment.

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

Fatality #16 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Wednesday, September 26, 2012, a 32-year old section foreman with 12 years of experience was killed by a roof fall at Kopper Glo Mining’s Double Mountain Mine. He was operating the continuous mining machine to excavate a roof cavity in preparation for the installation of a belt conveyor drive. The foreman was positioned approximately 8 feet inby the last row of permanent roof support when a section of the unsupported roof, approximately 6½ feet long, by 6 feet wide, by up to 8 inches thick fell, striking the victim and pinning him to the mine floor.

Best Practices
  • Always post the end of permanent roof support with a readily visible warning or physical barrier to impede travel beyond permanent roof support. This serves to alert all miners as they approach a danger zone.
  • Never travel beyond permanent roof support.
  • Never expose any portion of your body inby the last row of undisturbed permanent roof supports.
  • Make frequent, thorough roof examinations and be aware of changing roof conditions at all times.
  • Give extra attention to the roof after activities that cause roof disturbance.
  • Take extra precautions when cutting out roof support or mining above the normal roof line, such as mining a shorter depth of cut, then install two rows of roof bolts before continuing to mine.

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

Fatality #15 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Thursday, September 13, 2012, a 61-year-old general inside laborer with 38 years of mining experience was killed when he was struck by a section of mine roof. The victim was removing a roof bolt from an older area of the mine which was no longer in contact with the mine roof. A section of mine roof fell, striking the victim.

Best Practices
  • Before performing work in any area of the mine, observe the roof and ribs for hazardous conditions and correct hazards immediately.
  • Install additional roof supports prior to removing old supports.
  • Perform sound and vibration testing before installing or removing permanent roof supports.
  • Only remove roof supports under the direction of a manager or foreman.
  • Use roof screen (wire mesh) to control loose roof in long-term travel roads.
  • Take extra precautions when working or traveling in older areas of the mine, paying particular attention to deteriorating roof conditions.
  • Make frequent roof examinations and be alert to changing roof conditions at all times. Give extra attention to the roof after activities occur that could cause roof disturbance.

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

Fatality #14 for Coal Mining 2012

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On September 11, 2012, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a fatal accident occurred while moving longwall equipment at the Drummond Company, Inc., Shoal Creek Mine. A 28 year old miner was killed when he was crushed between the coal rib and a large power center, weighing approximately 30 tons.

Best Practices
  • Prior to beginning any work activity, train the miners to perform the task-at-hand safely.
  • STAY OUT of areas where clearance is tight (pinch points) and visibility is limited when haulage equipment is being operated to move large equipment and/or components.
  • Ensure that equipment operators establish good communications between themselves and other miners that may be working around or near their equipment.
  • While moving equipment, ensure that all persons are located safely out of the route of travel, especially with limited visibility.
  • Ensure that all large equipment and/or components are secured adequately to prevent unintended motion when being moved.
  • Inspect the mine floor properly in areas where large equipment and/or components will be transported to identify any irregularities that may cause unexpected movement of the equipment and/or components being moved, or with the machinery being operated to move the equipment.

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