Section Foreman fatality at Horse Creek Eagle (Marfork Coal Company, LLC), WV, June 3, 2021

Employee was crossing intersection and was struck by the left center shuttle car resulting in fatal injuries.

On Thursday, June 3, 2021, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Nicholas Adkins, a 42-year-old section foreman, died after a shuttle car struck him. The shuttle car operator was tramming the shuttle car to the belt conveyor feeder (feeder). The accident occurred because the mine operator did not have adequate policies, procedures, and controls to protect miners in haulageways from being contacted by mobile face equipment.

1. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not have adequate policies, procedures, and controls to protect miners in haulageways from being contacted by mobile face equipment.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Supervise

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

16 years

Experience at this mine

14 years

Experience in this job

9 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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