Discontinued 1/31/2014. Several Other Codes Cover Scoop Car Operator

Setting miner up to take first cut of coal when he became pinched between miner boom and rib.

On March 25, 2011, at approimately 8:10 a.m. a 54 year old scoop operator was killed when he was caught between the conveyor boom of a remote controlled continuous mining machine and the coal rib. Robert L. Cook (victim) was substituting for the continuous mining machine operator. Cook was in the process of positioning the continuous mining machine in order to begin mining a crosscut when he became pinned between the end of the conveyor boom and the coal rib. The accident occurred primarily because the victim operated (trammed) the machine while he was located between the right side of the conveyor boom and the coal rib. The administrative controls and policies in place at the time of the accident were not adequate to control the practice of operating continuous mining machines from an unsafe location.

1. The mine operator did not ensure compliance with provisions of the approved roof control plan, requiring that all persons be in a safe location, away from the continuous mining machine and away from pinch points created by either the mining machine or haulage equipment, when the mining machine is in operation.

   Corrective action: Management trained all miners on safe work practices and procedures related to moving and operating continuous mining machines. This training was accomplished before normal mining operations resumed.

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

Activity at time of incident

Continuous Miner

Subunit / location

UNDERGROUND

Underground location

FACE

Mining method

Continuous Mining

Accident type

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

Source of injury

UNDERGRD MINING MACHINES

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

CHEST (RIBS/BREAST BONE/CHEST ORGNS)

Total mining experience

35 years

Experience at this mine

7 years

Experience in this job

30 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY