Shuttle Car Operator

#2 shuttle car was traveling back toward #5 entry to turn down towards feeder, and the #3 shuttle car was already traveling this entry when the #2 car came thru the fly pad they contacted the operators compartment of the #3 car injuring the operator. The EE died on 2/21/21, autopsy results state EE died as the result of a thromboembolism.

On January 22, 2021, at 7:44 a.m., Justin L. Lafferty, a 38-year-old shuttle car operator with approximately 11 years of mining experience, was injured when another shuttle car struck the operator’s compartment of the shuttle car he was operating. On February 21, 2021, Lafferty died as a result of the injuries sustained during the accident. The accident occurred because the mine operator did not have policies or procedures in place to assure safe underground haulage when: 1) mobile equipment traveled through a transparent ventilation curtain (flypad), and 2) shuttle cars from different mechanized mining units (MMU) shared a common intersection where flypads are used.

1. The mine operator did not have policies or procedures in place to assure safe underground haulage when: 1) mobile equipment traveled through flypads; and 2) shuttle cars from different MMUs share a common intersection where flypads are used.

   Corrective action: The mine operator revised their approved ventilation plan addressing haulage equipment traveling through flypads. The revision includes discontinuing the practice of shuttle cars from different MMUs sharing a common intersection where flypads are used. Mine management trained all miners on the revised policies and procedures which were incorporated in the Approved Ventilation Plan. Miners also received training on Safeguard No. 9291763 issued as a result of the investigation (see Enforcement Actions item 2).

Read the full report (PDF)

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

Activity at time of incident

Shuttle Car, Ram Car, Buggy

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

INTERSECTION

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

Struck by powered moving object

Source of injury

MINE JEEP,KERSEY,JITNEY

Nature of injury

OTHER INJURY,(Not Elsewhere Classified)

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Total mining experience

11 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

7 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY