Laborer fatality at Fork Creek No 10 Mine (Coal River Mining LLC), WV, July 27, 2012

At approximately 4:00am on the 27th of July 2012 a fatal incident occurred when the boom of the continuous miner struck the employee. The accident remains under investigation.

1. The victim did not follow the foreman’s instruction and returned to the continuous mining machine when it was in use. He returned to the machine without signaling the foreman or taking any actions to announce his presence.

   Corrective action: An addendum has been added to the mine’s approved Training Plan on August 7, 2012, and training was provided by mine management. The training plan addendum requires the following topics to be taught to the miners:

2. The foreman did not examine the surroundings of the continuous mining machine before starting and tramming the machine because he was preoccupied by the continuous mining machine cable and the victim was observed leaving the area.

   Corrective action: The continuous mining machine was fitted with a Prox 1 proximity detection system on August 18, 2012. Five persons on the section are required to carry the transmitters: two continuous mining machine operators, two roof bolting machine operators, and the section foreman.

3. The use of opaque ventilation curtains obstructed the vision of the continuous mining machine operator and reduced his sight distance.

   Corrective action: The ventilation plan revision approved November 8, 2012, requires the use of clear fly pads (transparent curtains) where equipment will tram through the flys (ventilation control). Additionally, the roof control plan revision approved October 25, 2012 requires the use of safety strobes for anyone coming inby the feeder (onto the working section). These changes will increase operator sight distance relative to the position of miners on the section.

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

Activity at time of incident

Handling Supplies Or Material

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

UNDERGRD MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

TRUNK, MULTIPLE PARTS

Total mining experience

1 year

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

1 year

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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