Bulldozer Operator fatality at Purco Strip (Purco Coal Inc), PA, July 25, 1995

at 8:00 AM

On July 25, 1995, a bulldozer operator was fatally injured in a machinery accident at Purco Strip (Purco Coal Inc), PA.

Purco Strip · Surface · Coal

Operator: Purco Coal Inc (Anthony J Ripepi)

Fayette County, PA

Classification MACHINERY

Type Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

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Investigator narrative

MINER WAS INVOLVED IN CLEARING OPERATIONS. LOGS WERE CONNECTED BY A CHOKER CHAIN TO A CAT D9-G DOZER WHICH THEN DRAGGED THE LOGS TO A COLLECTION AREA. A LOG WAS BEING DRAGGED WHEN THE END CLOS EST TO THE CHOKER CHAIN WEDGED UP AGAINST A TREE STUMP. THE FREE END OF THE LOG WHIPPED AROUND AND STRUCK THE MINER IN THE BACK AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE WORK AREA.

Record details

Activity at time of incident: Walking, Running
Subunit / location: STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT
Accident type: Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Source of injury: WOOD ITEMS,(Not Elsewhere Classified)
Nature of injury: FRACTURE,CHIP
Body part affected: TRUNK, MULTIPLE PARTS
Total mining experience: 23 years
Experience at this mine: 18 years
Experience in this job: 23 years
Degree of injury: FATALITY

Related fatalities

Same operator

October 6, 1986 · Laborer · Purco Coal Inc, PA

Same classification

July 1, 2026 · Electrician · Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, AL
May 20, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Pine Branch Mining LLC, KY
March 12, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Kennecott Utah Copper LLC, UT
March 5, 2026 · Continuous Miner Operator · Patton Mining LLC, IL
January 6, 2026 · Maintenance Man · National Cement Company Of California Inc, CA

Same year

December 27, 1995 · Laborer · American Borate Company, NV
December 24, 1995 · Truck Driver · Oracle Ridge Mining Partners, AZ
December 23, 1995 · Continuous Miner Operator · D-Max Energy Inc, WV
December 22, 1995 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · American Aggregates Of Michigan, MI
December 21, 1995 · Beltman · Noseman Branch Mining Inc, WV

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Every record on this page mirrors what MSHA publishes under its Open Government Data program, refreshed weekly. MSHA does not publish per-accident URLs (the Accidents data is distributed as a single bulk file), so this is how to retrieve the source for the specific record below:

Accident record: Download MSHA Accidents.zip then search for Document number 219952130224 (the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1)
Mine record: MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System and search by Mine ID 3603535
All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 219952130224 · Mine ID 3603535 Trainer view →