On June 19, 2017, a 32-year-old preshift examiner was fatally injured when he was thrown or jumped from a moving locomotive. Two locomotives (front and rear) were being used to transport three supply cars into the mine. The examiner was riding in the passenger seat of the front locomotive when the operators lost control on a grade and the front locomotive and the first two supply cars derailed.
- Maintain all equipment, including diesel-powered locomotives, in approved and safe operating condition or remove from service.
- Conduct a pre-operational examination of mobile diesel-powered track equipment to be used during a shift. Equipment defects affecting safety shall be reported and corrected before the equipment is used.
- Perform functional tests of the brakes and sanders as part of the pre-operational examination.
- Train all mobile diesel-powered track equipment operators on the braking systems, as well as on changing conditions that can create dampness on the rails reducing traction.
- Operate the haulage equipment at a safe speed consistent with the track’s condition. Sand the tracks when there is high humidity at the mine.
- Engage both the automatic and manual braking systems when the locomotive is stopped for any reason.
- Secure loads to prevent shifting while in motion. Ensure clear communication between operators when multiple locomotives are used for haulage.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), Final Report (pdf).
On Tuesday, June 13, 2017, a 32-year-old continuous mining machine operator was fatally injured when he was pinned between the cutter head of a remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib. The victim was backing the continuous mining machine from the working face when the accident occurred.
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.
On Saturday, May 6, 2017, a 62-year-old miner with 14 years of mining experience was fatally injured when the haul truck he was operating went over the highwall and fell approximately 150 feet. The victim was dumping overburden over the highwall when the accident occurred.
On March 14, 2017, an independent owner/operator truck driver, walked behind his raised end-dump trailer, while dumping his load and was engulfed by sand.
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 Wednesday, March 30, 2017, at 2:09 am, a 33-year-old miner (auger operator/foreman) was fatally injured at a surface auger mine. The miner was struck by a rock that fell from the bottom section of the highwall while changing worn cutter-head bits located at the front of the auger machine. The rock was approximately 4 feet by 5 feet by 30 inches in size.
On February 27, 2017, a 43-year-old plant attendant, with approximately 13 years of experience, was fatally injured when he fell through a 27-inch opening in a plate press. The victim had climbed a ladder to repair a damaged plate when he fell about 19 feet onto a moving refuse belt. The victim was found in a transfer chute, approximately 55 feet down the belt from where he had fallen.