Beltman fatality at North Fork (AK Coal Resources, Inc.), PA, December 20, 2018

While operating the 2nd/back MBC (mobile bridge carrier) the employee became pinned between the bridge of the MBC and the rib.

On December 20, 2018, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Nevin Hostetter, a 35-year-old mobile bridge carrier operator with 5 years and 21 weeks of mining experience, was fatally injured when he was crushed between a bridge conveyor and a solid coal rib. The accident occurred when the mobile bridge system was being trammed toward a continuous mining machine (CMM). The accident occurred because the administrative and engineering controls and polices were not adequate to protect the victim from crushing injuries.

1. The operator did not provide adequate means of protection against crushing injuries to miners that operate the Fairchild MBC system.

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

Activity at time of incident

Conveyor Belt

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

INTERSECTION

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

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

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

4 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY

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