Fatality · MSHA Record #220030170001

Greaser fatality at Samples Surface Mine (Catenary Coal Company LLC), WV, December 26, 2002

On December 26, 2002, a greaser was fatally injured in a machinery accident at Samples Surface Mine (Catenary Coal Company LLC), WV.

Samples Surface Mine · Surface · Coal

Operator: Catenary Coal Company LLC (Ashland Inc)

Kanawha County, WV

Classification MACHINERY

Type Struck by powered moving object

Investigator narrative

EMPLOYEE HAD FINISHED HIS SHIFT AS A DRAGLINE OILER. HE WAS SEEN LEAVING. AT SOME POINT, HE CAME BACK TO THE MACHINE. IT IS THEORIZED THAT HE CAME BACK FOR HIS CELL PHONE WHICH WAS DISCOV ERED LEFT BEHIND ON THE MACHINE. HE FAILED TO NOTIFY THE OPERATOR THAT HE WAS BACK AND HE WAS TO BOARD THE MACHINE. HE WAS APPARENTLY STRUCK BY THE RIGHT DRAGLINE SHOE WHILE BOARDING.

Record details

Activity at time of incident: Unknown
Subunit / location: STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT
Accident type: Struck by powered moving object
Source of injury: SURFACE MINING MACHINES
Nature of injury: CRUSHING
Body part affected: MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
Total mining experience: 26 years
Experience at this mine: 8 years
Experience in this job: 8 years
Degree of injury: FATALITY

Related fatalities

Same operator

July 28, 2009 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV
December 2, 2004 · Laborer · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV
November 1, 2001 · Truck Driver · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV
January 7, 1994 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV
April 23, 1993 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV

Same classification

July 1, 2026 · Electrician · Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, AL
May 20, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Pine Branch Mining LLC, KY
March 12, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Kennecott Utah Copper LLC, UT
March 5, 2026 · Continuous Miner Operator · Patton Mining LLC, IL
January 6, 2026 · Maintenance Man · National Cement Company Of California Inc, CA

Same year

December 28, 2002 · Welder (Shop) · Appalachian Fuels, LLC, KY
December 27, 2002 · Beltman · Mystic Energy Incorporated, WV
December 20, 2002 · Warehouseman · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
December 13, 2002 · Roof Bolter · American Mining & Manufacturing Corporation, KY
December 9, 2002 · Truck Driver · International Minerals Carlsbad, Inc., NM

Verify on MSHA

Every record on this page mirrors what MSHA publishes under its Open Government Data program, refreshed weekly. MSHA does not publish per-accident URLs (the Accidents data is distributed as a single bulk file), so this is how to retrieve the source for the specific record below:

Accident record: Download MSHA Accidents.zip then search for Document number 220030170001 (the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1)
Mine record: MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System and search by Mine ID 4607178
All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 220030170001 · Mine ID 4607178 Trainer view →