Front-End Loader

Victim was operating front-end loader in coal pit area, when a highwall failure occurred, covering the front-end loader completely.

On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, at approximately 2:07 p.m., Micky Cook, a 38-year-old surface miner with 14 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when a large portion of a highwall (approximately 7,000 to 8,000 cubic yards) toppled, crushing the operator’s cab of his front-end loader. Cook was operating the front-end loader to remove blasted material near the base of a 63-foot highwall. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not conduct adequate daily examinations to identify hazardous highwall conditions and correct such hazards before allowing miners to work near the base of the highwall. Additionally, the mine operator did not follow safety provisions of the mine’s Ground Control Plan (GCP). If implemented, these GCP requirements would have caused several safety measures to be initiated to eliminate hazardous highwall conditions. Furthermore, the mine operator did not adequately train miners regarding the safety provisions of the mine’s GCP.

1. The mine operator did not conduct adequate daily inspections of the mine in that it did not recognize hazardous highwall conditions. Failure to identify and correct the hazardous highwall conditions allowed miners to be assigned to work in close proximity to the hazardous highwall.

   Corrective action: All mine foremen were trained on February 11, 2019, regarding proper daily inspections and hazard recognition pertaining to surface mining. The mine operator provided documentation of the training and the attendees. MSHA monitored the training.

2. The mine operator did not follow several provisions of the mine’s GCP. The mine operator did not ensure that the miners were knowledgeable in the provisions of the mine’s GCP.

   Corrective action: The mine operator submitted a revised GCP which was reviewed and acknowledged by the District on January 23, 2019. The revision enhances safety by requiring, at all times, a 60-foot distance between the highwall and mobile equipment operators. Blasting will remove 180 feet from the pit and mobile equipment operators will only excavate 120 feet of blasted material, leaving a 60-foot buffer between them and the highwall. The mine operator trained all employees on the mine’s GCP on January 28, 2019, and provided documentation of the training and the attendees.

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

Activity at time of incident

Front-End Loader

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck by falling object

Source of injury

CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

HEAD,NEC

Total mining experience

14 years

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

14 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY