Examiner fatality at Pleasant Hill Mine (Carter Roag Coal Company), WV, August 25, 2017

The employee was found unresponsive at approximately 2:05 PM on the offside of the #1 belt at the portal entrance of the surface mine. Preliminary findings has determined the employee received fatal injuries when coming in contact with the belt conveyor.

On Friday August 25, 2017, at approximately 12:08 p.m., Owen Jones, a 51-year-old mine examiner with over 27 years of mining experience fell onto a moving conveyor belt and received fatal injuries. Jones was attempting to cross the conveyor belt to complete his examination of the belt when he fell. The fatal accident occurred because the crossover provided by the operator was not suitable for Jones and other miners to use as a means to cross over the belt when it was moving. In addition, the operator had not installed a guard to prevent Jones from crossing over the conveyor belt in an unsafe manner.

1. The mine operator did not provide an adequate crossover outby the No. 2 belt drive for miners to safely cross the moving No. 1 conveyor belt.

   Corrective action: The mine operator removed the crossover and constructed an adequate crossover for miners to use (see Appendix F).

2. The configuration of the drive on the outby side of the rock box was not constructed to prevent a miner from using it as means to cross the moving conveyor belt.

   Corrective action: The mine operator installed guards at certain belt transfer locations to prevent miners from using them as a means to cross a moving conveyor belt.

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

Activity at time of incident

Cross Over (Conveyor)

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

LAST OPEN CROSSCUT

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

Fall onto or against objects

Source of injury

BELT CONVEYORS

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

27 years

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

1 year

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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