Seneca Coal

Employee experienced pain in groin while at home, and was diagnosed as having a small inguinal hernia and muscle strain, possibly caused from years of climbing on and off heavy equipment.

Carpal tunnel developed in left wrist from many years of operating heavy equipment. Reported on 7/28, but no time off work until 10/25.

Fluid build-up in knee from many years of operating heavy equipment. Reported on 6/19, but no time off work until 10/18.

As a mechanic was lowering a D8 dozer to the floor, he caught his hand in a pinch point between the boggie roller and the track frame as he attempted to guide the load. He sustained multiple lacerations of the right hand, but no broken bones. His wounds required stitches.

Diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, as the result of 27 years of operating heavy equipment.

MRI RECEIVED ON 11/15/05, showing degenerative disc disease at C4-5. C5-6, & C6-7, and posterior elements partially fused, suggesting congenital disease. Thirty year employee has operated heavy equipment, which entails twisting to look over right shoulder while driving, constituting an illness developed over time.

Employee reported neck pain to foreman on 9/25 @ 4:20 p.m. MRI results show "mild disc degeration" and "moderate spinal stenosis at the C5 & C6 levels". Medical treatment includes injections for pain.

Lost-time ILLNESS...Employee had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, due to wear & tear over a period of 20+ years. DID NOT RECEIVE INITIAL MEDICAL REPORTS UNTIL 4/11/05.

Employee twisted right knee on 11/13/04, but didn't seek medical treatment and didn't miss any work at that time. On 4/4/05, employee had knee surgery, but we didn't receive medical records until 5/5/05 to determine if this incident should be classified as an injury or illness. Employee returned to work on 5/3/05.

Employee has a degenerative disc disease that caused him neck and back pain. MRI RESULTS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL 10/25/04, which caused a reporting delay.

Employee aggravated previous back strain when he attempted to lift a pump by himself. Didn't receive MRI results until 8/30.

EMPLOYEE HAS LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS OF LEFT ELBOW. MRI INFORMATION NOT RECEIVED UNTIL 8/25. ** MEDICAL ATTACHED. EE ADVISED CONDITION WILL BE HARD TO MANAGE IF HE CONTINUES THE REPETITIVE GRASPING HIS WORK INVOLVES.**

EMPLOYEE'S KNEE LOCKED UP WHEN HE ATTAMPTED TO EXIT VEHICLE, AGGRAVATING PRE-EXISTING ARTHRITIC CONDITION. EE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION, NOR DID HE MISS WORK UNTIL 8/25 AT WHICH TIME HE WAS TOLD TO STAY AWAY FROM WORK UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.**DIAGNOSIS PER MEDICAL - DEGERATIVE JOINT DISEASE. EMPLOYEE HAS HAD TWO PREVIOUS SURGERIES.**

Hit left index finger with hammer.

PAIN STARTEDIN NECK AND RADIATED DOWN BACK AND RIGHT ARM.** PER ATTACHED MEDICAL, CERVICAL DISC DISEASE WITH NO DISC HERNIATION FOUND**

Employee strained his shoulder on 6/12/04, but didn't seek medical treatment or miss any work at that time. On 3/22/05, employee reported that his shoulder was still hurting, so he saw a doct or on 3/25 and had surgery on 4/18/05. We did not receive medical records to determine whether this was an illness or an injury until 5/10/05.

Employee strained his shoulder on 6/12/04, but didn't seek medical treatment or miss any work at that time. On 3/22/05, employee reported that his shoulder was still hurting, so he saw a doctor on 3/25 and had surgery on 4/18. We did not receive medical records to determine whether this was an illness or an injury until 5/10/05.

Spinal stenosis developed over time. Stenosis is defined as the gradual result of aging and wear and tear on the spine during everyday activities. reporting delayed because ee was awaiting medical report.

EE WAS MOVING 3" PUMP AT THE HIGHWALL MINER/YOAST PIT, WHEN A LOOSE PIECE OF COAL SLID FROM UNDERFOOT, CAUSING EMPLOYEE TO TWIST HIS RIGHT KNEE. A REPORT WAS MADE, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WASN'T NEEDED UNTIL 4/26, WHEN EE RE-TWISTED THE SAME KNEE. EE HAD MRI ON 4/27, BUT THE DR COULDN'T READ IT UNTIL 4/28. EE SCHEDULED SURGERY ON 4/29. DIDN'T BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL 4/20/04.

EE WAS KNEELING ON LADDER, WELDING, WHEN HE STEPPED SIDEWAYS AND FELL APPROX. 2' ONTO A WIRE-FEED WELDER THAT WAS MOUNTED ON A CART, STRIKING HIS RIGHT SIDE AND LOWER BACK. DID NOT BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL APRIL 15TH - FIRST DAY AWAY FROM WORK.

Employee advised management that he has carpal tunnel in both wrists, but will not be operated on until fall. Didn't become reportable until 10/04/04, when employee had surgery.

EE WAS DIGGING OVERBURDEN AT LOWER SCRAPER PIT WHEN HE CAUGHT A ROCK AND BOUNCED THE SCRAPER, JARRING HIS BAKC AND RIBS, AND STRIKING HIS ELBOW ON STEERING WHEEL.

EMPLOYEE RAN OVER A LARGE ROCK WITH THE SCRAPER. THE JAMMING ACTION CAUSED HIM TO PULL THE MUSCLES IN HIS BACK. DIDN'T BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL 1/19/04. FIRST DAY AFTER EMPLOYEE COULD SEE A DOC TOR.

EMPLOYEE WAS CHANGING AUGERS ON THE COAL DRILL. WHEN THE AUGER (APPROX. 150#) WAS UNSCREWED, IT SLID OUT THE RAIL AND STRUCK THE EMPLOYEE IN THE CHEST.

EMPLOYEE STEPPED OFF COAL LOADER ONTO LOOSE COAL TWISTING HIS ANKLE.

DID NOT BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL 11/03/04 - EMPLOYEE'S FIRST DAY OFF WORK. Employee was pushing mud out of shop with forklift scraper when scraper hit floor rails and stopped suddenly, causing employee to jam his shoulder.

EE STATED HE WAS MOUNTING DOZER TO DOZE MINING SPOILS. HIS FOOT SLIPPED WHILE MOUNTING DOZER, TWISTING HIS LOWER BACK.

EE WAS CHECKING THE RADIATOR ON THE COMPACTOR WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE REAR BUMPER. HIS LEFT FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BUMPER & HIS RIGHT FOOT REMAINED IN PLACE, CAUSING HIM TO PULL HIS HAMSTRING MUS CLE.

EE COMPLETED WASHING OVERBURDEN DRILL AND CLIMBED DOWN LADDER TO LEAVE AREA. WHEN HE TURNED TO WALK AWAY, HIS FOOT WAS MIRED IN MUD AND DIDN'T TURN WITH HIM, CAUSING HIS LEFT KNEE TO POP.

EE WAS LOADING 55 GALLON DRUMS OF OIL ONTO TRUCK WHEN ONE BARREL SLIPPED. WHEN EE GRABBED BARREL, HE CAUGHT HIS FINGER BETWEEN 2 BARRELS, CAUSING THE MIDDLE FINGER OF HIS RIGHT HAND TO POP OUT OF JOINT. ALSO CUT THE MIDDLE AND LITTLE FINGERS OF RIGHT HAND.

EE WAS DRIVING TEETH OUT WITH HAMMER ON 2W DRAGLINE WHEN A PIECE OF METAL BROKE LOOSE FROM ONE OF THE TEETH AND BECAME EMBEDDED IN HIS RIGHT KNEE.

EMPLOYEE SLIPPED AND FELL OFF DRAG DRUM IN MAY OF 2003. INCIDENT DID NOT BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL 2/4/04.

EMPLOYEE WAS REELING IN FUEL HOSE ON #65 FUEL TRUCK AT THE HOPPER WHEN THE BUTTON ON FUEL REEL STUCK AND JERKED EMPLOYEE'S LEFT ARM UP OVER REEL, INJURING TENDON ON ROTATOR CUFF OF LEFT SHOULD ER. NOT REPORTABLE UNTIL 1/15/04. FIRST DAY AWAY FROM WORK.

EMPLOYEE HAS CARPAL TUNNEL IN BOTH WRISTS FROM MANY YEARS WORKING AS A MECHANIC. RIGHT WRIST OPERATED ON ON 3/8/04. DID NOT BECOME REPORTABLE UNTIL THEN - FIRST DAY AWAY FROM WORK.

EMPLOYEE WAS CLIMBING INTO A SCRAPER WHEN HE SLIPPED OFF THE STEP AND HIT HIS ELBOW.

EMPLOYEE WAS WELDING OVERHEAD WHIEL BRACING HIMSELF WITH LEFT KNEE. LEFT KNEE WAS HURT OFF THE KOB APPROX 2 YRS AGO. EE WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO EMERGENCY ROOM, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD MENISCUS REMOVED BY TREATING PHYSICIAN.

FALL ON ICE RESULTING IN BROKEN WRIST.

DOCTOR REPORT STATES "RECURRENCE OF LOW BACK PAIN WITH RADIATING SYMPTOMS DOWN LEFT LEG."

EMPLOYEE RECEIVED COMPRESSION INJURY TO NECK AREA WHEN DOZER HE WAS OPERATING SLIPPED OFF ROCK AND STRUCK THE GROUND. SEE ATTACHED LETTER.

EMPLOYEE HAS A BULGING DISK IN BACK BETWEEN S1 & L5 DUE TO THE REPETITIVE MOTION OF BACKPACK FULL OF SURVEYING EQUIPMENT BOUNCING ON HIS BACK WHILE HE WAS RIDING A FOUR-WHEELER WHILE ON DUTY.

EE IS A WELDER WHO HAS DEVELOPED CARPAL TUNNEL IN BOTH WRISTS. INITIAL REPORT SENT TO MSHA AT THAT TIME. WORKERS COMP. DENIED CLAIN PENDING INVESTIGATION. CLAIM APPROVED AT END OF JUNE AND SURGERY ON RT. WRIST SCHEDULED FOR 7/9/02, WITH SURGERY ON LT. WRIST TO FOLLOW IN 6 WEEKS. EE'S FIRST DAY OFF WORK WAS 7/9/02 AND HE WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO FULL DUTY FOR APPROX. 12 WEEKS.

BI-LATERAL KNEE PROBLEMS

EE'S LEFT SHOULDER HAS BEEN HURTING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. TODAY HE WENT TO DR SISK WHO GAVE HIM AN INJECTION OF CORTIZONE AND REQUESTED THAT EE BE ASSIGNED TO LIGHT DUTY FOR TEN DAYS.

NECK STRAIN MUSCLE SPASM FROM REPETITIVE BOUNCING IN A DOZER.

WHILE SPLICING CABLE EE CUT HIS RIGHT HAND WITH A RAZOR KNIFE. REQUIRED 3 STITCHES AT EMERGENCY ROOM.

BACK STRAIN FROM DRIVING OVER A ROCK WITH A DOZER.

WHILE CLIMBING ONTO #80 HITACH, LOADER EE GRABBED THE HANDRAIL TO PULL HIMSELF UP AND DISLOCATED HIS LEFT SHOULDER.