Mining Incidents
Fatality · MSHA Record #220102880058

Roof Bolter

October 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Kingston No 1 · Underground · Coal
Fayette County, WV
Classification FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Type Struck by falling object
Investigator narrative
Employee had finished bolting a section of mine roof at approximately 10:30 am and was preparing to move the roof bolter out of the #1 entry when he was handed a wrench he had requested earlier. He walked up the side of the bolter to place the wrench in his tray when a piece of rock fell without warning, striking him.
Final MSHA investigation
Root causes
  1. Management oversight of adverse roof conditions was not adequate. A change in mining height created a brow at the location of the fatal accident. Roof bolt spacing was too wide at the area of the brow and adequate supplemental supports were not installed.

  2. The Approved Roof Control Plan was not complied with in that management failed to evaluate adequately the changing geological conditions and continued mining a 25-foot depth cut.

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

Record details
Activity at time of incident
Roof Bolter, Nec
Subunit / location
UNDERGROUND
Underground location
FACE
Mining method
Continuous Mining
Accident type
Struck by falling object
Source of injury
CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE
Nature of injury
MULTIPLE INJURIES
Body part affected
MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
Total mining experience
31 years
Experience at this mine
9 years
Experience in this job
28 years
Degree of injury
FATALITY
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Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 220102880058 · Mine ID 4608625 Trainer view →