On Thursday, May 18, 2017, an outby utility miner received fatal injuries when his head hit the mine roof and/or roof support. He and another miner were travelling in a trolley-powered supply locomotive when the accident occurred. While the locomotive was still in motion, the trolley pole came off the trolley wire. The victim grabbed the pole to place it back on the trolley wire. In this slightly elevated position, the victim hit his head on the mine roof and was fatally injured.
- STOP trolley-powered vehicles before placing the trolley pole back on the trolley wire.
- Mining conditions change – often abruptly. Always face the direction of travel and exercise extreme caution in low clearance areas.
- Keep all body parts within the operator’s compartment while a vehicle is in motion. Stay below the highest part of a vehicle frame or windshield, especially when travelling through low clearance areas.
- Install signs to warn miners of approaching low clearance areas and train miners to reduce speed in those areas.
- Conduct proper travelway examinations to identify and mitigate the hazards presented by low clearances.
- Properly install and maintain trolley wire and trolley poles to eliminate areas where the trolley pole is prone to coming off the trolley wire.
- Examine the trolley pole harp for excessive wear. Ensure it is properly lubricated to allow it to swivel adequately to maintain proper contact with the trolley wire.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
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.
On January 25, 2017, a miner was found in an underground limestone mine after failing to exit the mine at the end of the shift. The miner was located under material that had fallen from the rib in an area of the mine that had been barricaded to prevent entry due to bad roof and rib conditions.
On Thursday, January 26, 2017, a 42-year-old miner with 23 years of mining experience was fatally injured when he contacted a moving drive roller for the section belt. The victim was positioned between the guard and the conveyor belt drive when he came in contact with the shaft of the belt drive roller.
On December 2, 2016, a technical representative for a shield manufacturer, with 13 years of experience, received fatal injuries while adding components to the hydraulic system of a longwall shield. The victim was positioned inside the shield near the hinge point when the shield collapsed and crushed him.
On Monday, May 16, 2016, a 50-year-old motorman, with over 14 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when the diesel locomotive he was operating crashed through a closed airlock door. The diesel locomotive was pulling six drop deck cars and had stopped to allow another motorman operating a trailing locomotive to separate the cars to provide the clearance needed to pass through the airlock. As the other motorman was preparing to couple his locomotive to the cars, the train unexpectedly moved forward and continued away from him towards the slope bottom where it crashed through the closed outby airlock door.
On June 6, 2016, a 34-year-old contract laborer with 7 years of mining experience was fatally injured when a diesel-powered front-end loader fell on him. Working together, another miner and the victim lowered the bucket and put downward hydraulic pressure on the bucket to raise the middle of the loader. Both miners then crawled under the loader. The hydraulic pressure released, allowing the loader to lower, pinning both miners. A mine examiner, who was nearby, lowered the bucket again to raise the loader off the miners. One miner was freed and assisted in removing the unresponsive victim from under the loader. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed, but the victim could not be revived.
On Friday, March 25, 2016, a 48-year-old continuous mining machine operator, with 30 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when an overhanging section of a rock rib fell and pinned him against the haulage equipment. The fallen rib was approximately 44 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. The victim was remotely operating a continuous mining machine that was being used to excavate material during the construction of a coal transfer shaft. The area where the accident occurred had a depth of cover of approximately 1,950 feet and a height of approximately 17 feet.
On Tuesday, January 19, 2016, a 36-year-old continuous mining machine operator was fatally injured when he was pinned between the conveyor boom of the remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib while positioning the trailing cable. The victim had trammed the continuous mining machine back out of the No. 6 Face into the last open crosscut between No. 6 and No. 5 Entries. The victim had 5 years and 6 months of mining experience, with 1 year and 17 weeks experience as a continuous mining machine operator.
On January 16, 2016, a 31 year old continuous mining machine operator with 12 years of mining experience was fatally injured when a section of coal/rock rib measuring 4.5 feet long, 3 feet high, and 3 feet thick fell and pinned him to the mine floor. The victim was remotely operating the continuous miner in the number 2 entry of the advancing section when the accident occurred.