Maintenance Man

The miner & a co-worker installed blocking material under the cutter head of the continuous miner to support it while they replaced the load-lock valve. The victim was in the process of installing the new valve when the blocking material failed & allowed the cutter head to fall to the mine floor. The victim was crushed between the boom of the cutter head & the frame of the pan.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at approximately 2:00 a.m., a 29-year-old electrician with approximately nine years of mining experience was fatally injured while replacing a load locking valve on a cutting head support jack on a continuous mining machine. The victim had removed the load locking valve on the operator's side of the cutting head support jack. When the victim leaned under the cutter head boom, the blocking material under the continuous mining machine's cutting head failed, allowing the cutter head boom to collapse into the pan causing crushing injuries to the victim. The accident occurred because management failed to establish adequate blocking protocols to be used when working under suspended components of machinery.

1. The mine operator failed to adequately block and secure the cutter head and cutter head boom against motion and allowed a miner to work under the cutter head and cutter head boom. A substantially built crib was not used nor was the manufacturer's approved safety chocks installed between the cutter boom and the continuous mining machine's gathering head pan.

   Corrective action: Management has developed and implemented a written "Plan of Action for Blocking Equipment from Motion". All underground miners will be re-instructed regarding proper blocking procedures while performing repairs or maintenance under machinery.

2. The mine operator failed to adequately block and secure the cutter head and cutter head boom against motion and allowed a miner to work under the cutter head and cutter head boom. A substantially built crib was not used nor was the manufacturer's approved safety chocks installed between the cutter boom and the continuous mining machine's gathering head pan.

   Corrective action: Management has developed and implemented a written "Plan of Action for Blocking Equipment from Motion". All underground miners will be re-instructed regarding proper blocking procedures while performing repairs or maintenance under machinery.

3. The mine operator failed to task train the victim with regard to the hazards associated with the working under suspended loads and the appropriate use of blocking against motion.

   Corrective action: All underground miners have received task training on the hazards of working under suspended loads and the appropriate use of blocking against motion.

4. The mine operator failed to task train the victim with regard to the hazards associated with the working under suspended loads and the appropriate use of blocking against motion.

   Corrective action: All underground miners have received task training on the hazards of working under suspended loads and the appropriate use of blocking against motion.

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

FACE

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

Struck by falling object

Source of injury

UNDERGRD MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

CRUSHING

Body part affected

TRUNK, MULTIPLE PARTS

Total mining experience

9 years

Experience at this mine

9 years

Experience in this job

5 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY