Mining Incidents
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Case study · MSHA Record #219912040001

Welder (Shop) fatality

July 9, 1991 at 4:15 AM
PIGEON CREEK · Westmoreland Coal Company · Wise County, VA
Investigator narrative
THE EMPLOYEE WAS PREPARING TO REPAIR HOLES IN THE WALL OF THE ROTARY BREAKER.HE ENTERED THE ROTARY BREAKER BELIEVING THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TO BE DE-ENERGIZED.WHEN IT WAS STARTED BY ANOTHER EM PLOYEE WHO BELIEVED THAT HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO START IT,A FATAL INJURY RESULTED.
Record details
Classification
MACHINERY
Accident type
Caught in, under or between NEC
Activity at time
Machine Maintenance
Subunit / location
MILL OPERATION/PREPARATION PLANT
Source of injury
MACHINE-MILL,CLEANING PLT
Nature of injury
FRACTURE,CHIP
Body part affected
SKULL
Total mining experience
17 years
Experience at this mine
17 years
Experience in this job
17 years
Mine type
Facility
Sector
Coal
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