Laborer
Employee was shoveling coal off a conveyor belt, belt moved forward causing miner to fall down transfer chute onto belt conveyor that transferred EE to stacker tube where EE fell onto coal pile.
On August 11, 2024, at 12:05 a.m., Leonard Barnes, a 62 year-old surface miner with over five years of mining experience, died while shoveling rock from a belt conveyor. Barnes was on top of the belt inside the C1 Head Roller Housing (C1 Housing) when the counterweight dropped, causing the belt to move forward and Barnes to fall into the chute below. The mine operator directed and allowed miners to work where there were known safety hazards, and did not follow their belt conveyor inspection, cleaning, and lockout procedures. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not: 1) ensure Barnes wore fall protection, and 2) block the belt conveyor against hazardous motion before performing maintenance.
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The mine operator did not block the belt conveyor against hazardous motion before performing maintenance.
Corrective action: The mine operator designed new guards and reduced the access to the belt conveyor doors surrounding the C1 Housing with a welded bar to reduce the opening size. Warning signs have been posted on the C1 Housing, and on the guards, warning miners of the potential hazards associated with cleaning the belt conveyor system. Additionally, the mine operator retrained mine management and miners on their belt conveyor inspection, cleaning, and lockout procedure plan. The mine operator will conduct periodic audits and inspections to ensure compliance with their procedural plan.
Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.
- Activity at time of incident
- Hand Load, Hand Shoveling
- Subunit / location
- SURFACE AT UNDERGROUND
- Accident type
- Fall from machine
- Source of injury
- BELT CONVEYORS
- Nature of injury
- CRUSHING
- Body part affected
- MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
- Total mining experience
- 5 years
- Experience at this mine
- 5 years
- Experience in this job
- 0 years
- Degree of injury
- FATALITY
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- Final investigation report: Read MSHA's final report
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Accident record:
Download MSHA Accidents.zip
then search for Document number
220242320035(the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1) -
Mine record:
MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System
and search by Mine ID
0503672 - All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.