Roof Bolter fatality at Kingston No 1 (Kingston Mining, Inc.), WV, October 11, 2010

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.

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.

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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