Bull Gang Foreman

Victim was cleaning rocks and coal to set timbers along a rib line. The rib and brow fell crushing the miner. The brow measured approximately 100" long by 32" thick, by 37" tall.

On June 27, 2011, at approximately 1:10 a.m., Joseph Cassell, Crew Leader (Victim), was killed, after receiving crushing injuries, when a portion of the rib comprised of coal and rock, fell and struck him. The victim was in the process of cleaning the mine floor to install a wooden support timber, because of a deteriorated rib, when the accident occurred. The piece of material that fell was approximately 100 inches long, 32 inches thick, and 37 inches in height. The accident occurred one crosscut outby the loading point of the mechanized mining unit 004 (MMU-004) mining section. The accident occurred because the rib bolts installed previously in the top portion of the rib were insufficient to stabilize the rib of the entry and prevent material from falling when the mine floor was being cleaned.

1. The rib support installed at the accident location was inadequate to support the weight of the material. The 42-inch conventional bolts were anchored inadequately to hold the upper portion of the 90-inch high coal rib.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised the roof control plan and obtained walkthrough roof bolting machines to install rib bolts from a safe location. The revised plan now specifies five-foot long fully grouted rib bolts, and multiple rib bolts when the mining height exceeds seven feet.

2. Fallen rib material was removed routinely to install wooden timber supports. This practice exposed miners to hazardous rib conditions and increased the risk of being struck by falling material. Miners performed this work on a recurring basis and were exposed to rib hazards unnecessarily.

   Corrective action: The operator was provided a copy of MSHA's enforcement policy regarding CFR 30, § 75.400, which states, "...loose coal...shall be cleaned up and not permitted to accumulate in active workings..." MSHA's Program Policy Manual regarding this requirement states, "Experience has demonstrated that the loading of loose coal caused by sloughing ribs creates a hazardous condition in that the pillar size can be substantially reduced and the width of the entry or room dangerously increased; therefore, such loose coal shall not be considered accumulations of combustible material if such material is rendered inert by heavy applications of rock dust. However, such loose coal shall not be permitted to accumulate in the roadways or outby timberlines." All miners were trained in the MSHA policy requirements and a record of the training was documented.

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

INTERSECTION

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

1 year

Experience at this mine

1 year

Experience in this job

3 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY