Belt Foreman

Employee was fatally injured when a belt component malfunctioned (the bridal bar had a mechanical failure and broke) on the C1 Longwall take-up and struck employee in the chest causing blunt force trauma.

On August 30, 2023, at approximately 6:50 a.m., Aaron Haley, a 34-year-old belt foreman with over 13 years of mining experience, died when a longwall belt conveyor take-up unit (take-up) component, the bridle, broke and struck him. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not maintain components of the take-up in safe operating condition.

1. The mine operator did not maintain components of the take-up in safe operating condition.

   Corrective action: The mine operator: 1) installed a new bridle on the moveable carriage. The new bridle is provided with gussets, which prevent the bridle from dropping down and contacting the track frame of the take-up when there is slack in the winch cable, 2) installed a two-inch diameter plasma rope to the moveable carriage and bridle to prevent the bridle from breaking free if the connections break again, and 3) developed and implemented a written policy prohibiting any miner from being in the belt conveyor entry between the belt drive and take-up winch when the belt conveyor is intentionally started or stopped, to reduce exposure.

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Machine Maintenance

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

LAST OPEN CROSSCUT

Mining method

Longwall

Accident type

Struck by flying object

Source of injury

BELT CONVEYORS

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

CHEST (RIBS/BREAST BONE/CHEST ORGNS)

Total mining experience

13 years

Experience at this mine

3 years

Experience in this job

3 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY