Electrician fatality at Pocahontas Mine (White Buck Coal Company), WV, July 1, 2010

EE was walking from one crosscut outby the face in the #2 entry toward the face of the #2 entry when he was struck by the #1 shuttle car.

1. A safety hazard involving visibility existed on the No. 1 shuttle car. The metal sideboard between the operator’s deck and the bed had only a narrow slit between the sideboard and the canopy. The shuttle car operator’s field of vision was blocked by this metal, preventing the operator from seeing the victim as he walked toward the continuous mining machine.

2. The mine operator failed to train the miners to communicate with shuttle car or equipment operators prior to walking or positioning themselves in the haulage road.

Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.

Activity at time of incident

Walking, Running

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

FACE

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

Struck by powered moving object

Source of injury

MINE JEEP,KERSEY,JITNEY

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

36 years

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

34 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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