On Monday, October 23, 2017, a 48-year-old mine examiner with 19 years of mining experience, received fatal injuries after he fell on the No. 1 conveyor belt near the transfer point with the No. 2 conveyor belt and was transported by the belt conveyor system to the raw coal pile. It appears he was attempting to cross the No. 1 conveyor belt at the time of the accident.
- Never attempt to cross a moving conveyor belt, except at suitable crossing facilities.
- Train all employees thoroughly on the dangers of working on or traveling around moving conveyor belts.
- Provide conveyor belt stop and start controls at areas where miners must access both sides of the belt.
- Install practical and usable belt crossing facilities at strategic locations, including near controls, when height allows.
- Install pull cords to disconnect power to the conveyor belt at strategic locations along the conveyor belt.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).