Laborer fatality at Pattiki (White County Coal, LLC), IL, October 5, 2013

The victim was operating a battery-powered, rubber tired, personnel carrier on the 2nd 48 supply road. As he traveled outby, for a presently undetermined reason, the golf cart veered suddenly to the left before overturning on top of him. Co-workers initiated CPR and continued to the surface. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 1:59pm.

1. Mine management did not have adequate programs, policies, and procedures in place to ensure safe travel of self-propelled vehicles on outby travelways of the mine. Miners were not appropriately trained on the policies and procedures.

   Corrective action: Safeguard 8439341, issued as a result of the investigation of the anonymous complaint, requires battery-powered self-propelled personnel carriers or mantrips to operate independently and not be pushed by any other self-propelled personnel carriers or mantrips. The safeguard allows disabled vehicles to be slowly pushed to the side of the roadway in the immediate area. Afterwards, all subsequent movement of disabled carriers or mantrips must be done by towing.

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

Activity at time of incident

Mantrip

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

LAST OPEN CROSSCUT

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Source of injury

MINE JEEP,KERSEY,JITNEY

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

CHEST (RIBS/BREAST BONE/CHEST ORGNS)

Total mining experience

15 years

Experience at this mine

15 years

Experience in this job

15 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

Related fatalities