On Friday, February 21, 2014, a 24-year-old continuous mining machine operator with 5½ years of mining experience was killed when he was pinned between the end of the boom of a continuous mining machine and the right coal rib. The miner was tramming the remote controlled continuous mining machine in the last open crosscut toward the Number 1 entry.
Best Practices
- Install and maintain proximity detection systems to protect personnel and eliminate accidents of this type. See the proximity detection single source page on the MSHA website.
- Ensure everyone, including the equipment operator, is outside the machine turning radius before starting or moving equipment.
- Develop policies and procedures for starting and tramming self-propelled equipment and especially remote controlled continuous mining machines. Implement measures to assure their use which includes training all miners that are exposed to the hazards.
- Avoid the “RED ZONE” areas when operating or working near a continuous mining machine especially when setting over or place changing a remote controlled continuous mining machine.
- When moving continuous mining machines where the left and right traction drives are operated independently, use the low tram speed.
- Assign another miner to assist the continuous mining machine operator when it is being moved or repositioned.
- Frequently review, retrain, and discuss avoiding the “RED ZONE” areas.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).