On Thursday, June 6, 2013, a 36-year-old conveyor belt foreman with 4 years of mining experience was killed while checking a belt wiper at the belt conveyor discharge. He was positioned at the end of an elevated catwalk parallel to the belt drive to check the wiper. When the victim contacted the guardrail at the end of the catwalk, it gave way and he fell below onto the moving belt conveyor.

Best Practices

• Check guards along belt conveyors for stability and good repair.
• Train all employees thoroughly on the dangers of working or traveling around moving conveyor belts.
• Install appropriately-designed railings, barriers, or covers at all required conveyor belt locations, and ensure it is maintained in structurally sound condition.
• Perform thorough workplace examinations. Inspect the work areas for all potential hazards including places that persons may fall from or through.
• Provide belt conveyor stop and start controls at areas where miners must access both sides of the conveyor. Provide these areas with adequate crossing facilities (e.g. cross-overs or cross-unders).
• Do not assume handrails or guards are strong enough to support you, and never lean against or support your weight on guarding.

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

On 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).

On 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).

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.

• 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).

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.

• 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).

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at approximately 12:45 p.m., a 43-year-old scoop operator received fatal crushing injuries when he was caught between a battery powered scoop and the coal rib while attempting to change the scoop’s batteries. The scoop was parked at a battery charging station located four crosscuts from the working section when it was impacted by another scoop which was traveling outby adjacent to the charging station.

• Equipment operators should sound audible warnings when traveling around turns or blind spots, through ventilation curtains, and at any time the operator’s visibility is obstructed.
• Always look in the direction of equipment movement and exercise caution in areas where clearance is tight and visibility is limited. Install warning signs to remind equipment operators of the hazards present in these areas.
• Assure that the area where equipment is parked is conspicuously marked with reflective material and/or signs if there is a potential for other equipment to strike it.
• Install Proximity Detection Systems on continuous mining machines and haulage equipment to prevent these types of injuries and fatalities. Proximity detection Single Source Page
• Ensure that equipment operators establish good communications between themselves and other miners that may be working around or near their equipment.

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