Laborer

Oil leak was noticed during operation of the end loader. Foreman instructed operator to block the machine & went to get oil. Returned & found EE under the machine looking for the leak. Loader had been raised by tilting the bucket on the ground. Foreman got under machine to help look. Machine came down on top of them shortly after that, just as foreman saw that it was not blocked.

On Monday, June 6, 2016, at approximately 1:05 p.m., Robert E. Clark (victim), a 34-year-old contract laborer, was fatally injured when he was pinned between an underground diesel end loader and the mine floor. The victim and another miner had raised the end loader frame by tilting the bucket forward against the mine floor and crawled under the end loader to locate a hydraulic leak. A leak in the boom lift cylinder caused the bucket tilt cylinder to trip the stabilizer link which caused the machine to drop suddenly. The victim was trapped underneath the operator’s compartment. The accident occurred because the mine operator failed to ensure that the raised end loader had been securely blocked in position before performing work under it. An indirect cause was that the mine operator had not task trained miners on the hazards associated with the stabilizer link feature when using the end loader bucket to raise the machine. An additional indirect cause was that the mine operator failed to maintain the end loader in safe operating condition.

1. The mine operator failed to ensure that the raised end loader had been securely blocked in position before performing work under it.

   Corrective action: The mine operator developed a written blocking policy to comply with 30 CFR § 75.1726 when miners work on or under equipment or machinery that is in a raised position. Miners have been trained in this policy. This policy will be reviewed during new task training and be covered in annual refresher training.

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

Activity at time of incident

Inspect Equipment Or Mine

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

LAST OPEN CROSSCUT

Mining method

Longwall

Accident type

Struck by falling object

Source of injury

MINE JEEP,KERSEY,JITNEY

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

CHEST (RIBS/BREAST BONE/CHEST ORGNS)

Total mining experience

7 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY