On October 11, 2010, a 56 year old roof bolting machine operator with 31 years mining experience was killed in a roof fall. The victim was standing beside the roof bolting machine when a portion of a rock brow fell from between the roof bolts and struck him. The rock was approximately 6 feet long and 3 feet wide, and varied in thickness from approximately 7 inches, up to 24 inches.
Best Practices
- Remain alert for changing roof conditions, and remove hazards immediately.
- Roof brows that are created by a sudden change in mining height can create unsafe roof conditions and may require removal and/or additional roof support.
- Know and always follow your Approved Roof Control Plan.
- Don’t leave freshly cut roof unbolted for long periods of time.
- Use roof screen, large roof bolt plates, or other surface controls to prevent rocks from falling between supports.
- Train all miners to identify unsafe roof conditions that are encountered daily.
- Conduct thorough examinations in areas where miners will work or travel before and after work is completed.
- Please see the following information related to roof bolter safety in the following links:
- MSHA – Safety Targets Program – Roof and Rib Falls (Coal)
- MSHA – Safety Targets Program – Roof Bolter Safety
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).