Electrician fatality at Marfork Processing (Marfork Coal Company, LLC), WV, August 26, 2025

Employee received crushing fatal injuries while assisting MSHA inspection of elevator inside of Preparation Plant.

On August 26, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m., Eric Bartram, a 41-year-old electrician with 19 years of mining experience, died after he was pinned between the elevator and the first-floor elevator platform. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not properly maintain the circuit control board and did not remove it from service when a dangerous condition existed.

1. The mine operator did not properly maintain the circuit control board and did not remove it from service when a dangerous condition existed.

   Corrective action: The mine operator removed the jumper wire from the elevator circuit control panel, rewired and reconnected the wiring according to the electrical schematics, and demonstrated proper operation of the elevator.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Inspect Equipment Or Mine

Subunit / location

MILL OPERATION/PREPARATION PLANT

Accident type

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Source of injury

ELEVATORS,CAGES,SKIPS,ETC

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

CHEST (RIBS/BREAST BONE/CHEST ORGNS)

Total mining experience

19 years

Experience at this mine

10 years

Experience in this job

10 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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