Continuous Miner Operator fatality at Mine # 37 (Arch Of Kentucky), KY, December 26, 1997

at 10:30 AM

On December 26, 1997, a continuous miner operator was fatally injured in a fall of face/rib/pillar/side/highwall accident at Mine # 37 (Arch Of Kentucky), KY.

Mine # 37 · Underground · Coal

Operator: Arch Of Kentucky (Ashland Inc et al)

Harlan County, KY

Classification FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL

Type Struck by falling object

Investigator narrative

VICTIM WAS STRUCK BY A RIB ROLL WHICH MEASURED APPROX. 23 FT LONG X 0" TO 42" THICK AND 10 1/2 FT HIGH. HE SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES WHICH LED TO HIS DEATH.

Record details

Activity at time of incident: Continuous Miner
Subunit / location: UNDERGROUND
Underground location: FACE
Mining method: Continuous Mining
Accident type: Struck by falling object
Source of injury: CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE
Nature of injury: MULTIPLE INJURIES
Body part affected: MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
Total mining experience: 25 years
Experience at this mine: 13 years
Experience in this job: 15 years
Degree of injury: FATALITY

Related fatalities

Same operator

September 6, 1990 · Bull Gang Foreman · Arch Of Kentucky, KY
April 18, 1989 · Belt Foreman · Arch Of Kentucky, KY

Same classification

August 24, 2026 · Driller · Haynes Materials Company, CT
May 19, 2026 · Laborer · Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC, PA
February 28, 2025 · Bull Gang Foreman · Marfork Coal Company, LLC, WV
January 29, 2025 · Drill Operator · Lexington Coal Company, LLC, WV
August 22, 2024 · Rotary Bucket Excavator Operator · Onyx Corporation, MA

Same year

December 25, 1997 · Security Guard · Imc-Agrico, FL
December 21, 1997 · Maintenance Man · Fox Mining Corp, KY
December 18, 1997 · Ledgeman/Hand · Georgia-Carolina Quarries Inc, GA
December 17, 1997 · Maintenance Man · Genwal Resources Inc, UT
December 3, 1997 · Laborer · Plourde Sand & Gravel Company Inc, NH

Verify on MSHA

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 219980120053 (the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1)
Mine record: MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System and search by Mine ID 1504670
All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 219980120053 · Mine ID 1504670 Trainer view →