Mining Incidents

Sweet Birch Coal

Controlled by Douglas M Epling
Wharton, Boone County, WV  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4609065

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
21
Years on record
2005–2009
Latest incident
Mar 2009
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2004
383
citations
140
significant & substantial
$215,522
proposed penalties
$181,885
paid to date
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2012 Q3 0 0 0
2012 Q2 0 0 0
2012 Q1 0 0 0
2011 Q4 0 0 0
2011 Q3 0 0 0
2011 Q2 0 0 0
2011 Q1 0 1 0
2010 Q4 0 1 0
Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

21 on file

2009 · 3 incidents

March 24, 2009 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was setting breaker post timbers. When he went to split a half header it slipped causing it to kick back & lacerate his left middle finger, ripping nail off.

February 24, 2009 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was reeling cable up on MRS when a cable broke loose from breakaway hangers striking employee in the neck.

February 17, 2009 WV · Coal shuttle car operator, mantrip operator, ramcar operator, rail runner, buggy operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was picking up a timber out of the scoop bucket, when the timber hit him in the left knee.

2008 · 1 incident

August 25, 2008 WV · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The employee was helping to hang a miner cable when he felt a burning sensation in his shoulder.

2007 · 1 incident

March 9, 2007 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING DOWN RIB, HE SLIPPED & FELL DOWN & SCOOP RAN OVER RIGHT FOOT.

2006 · 12 incidents

December 29, 2006 WV · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE WAS BOLTING, A ROCK FELL - HE HAD HIS HAND ON THE POT AND THE ROCK MASHED HIS MIDDLE FINGER ON HIS RIGHT HAND.

September 21, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE WAS PUTTING UP AN OUTSIDE BOLT WHEN A PIECE OF ROCK FELL STRIKING EMPLOYEE ON THE SHOULDER.

September 13, 2006 WV · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler POWERED HAULAGE
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE PUTTING ROCK DUST ON SCOOP WHEN ANOTHER EMPLOYEE DROPPED BUCKET ON EMPLOYEE'S LEFT FOOT.

September 11, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Fall to the walkway or working surface

EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING BOLTER ACROSS SECTION WHEN HE HIT HIS BACK ON ROOF BOLT CAUSING HIM TO FALL, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO TWIST HIS KNEE.

August 28, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE WAS RIDING OUT ON MAC 8, WHEN HE WAS BOUNCED UP OUT OF SEAT. WHEN EMPLOYEE LANDED HE LANDED ON THE HAND RAIL STRIKING HIS RT SIDE RIB CAGE.

August 25, 2006 WV · Coal discontinued 1/31/2014. several other codes cover scoop car operator POWERED HAULAGE
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck against a moving object

EMPLOYEE HIT BUMP OR ROCK IN ROADWAY CAUSING HIM TO BE BOUNCED UP OFF OF SEAT. WHEN HE LANDED BACK IN THE SEAT HE LANDED ON HIS LOWER BACK.

August 17, 2006 WV · Coal laborer, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, roof trimmer/scaler POWERED HAULAGE
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck against stationary object

EMPLOYEE HIT ELBOW ON FIRE SUPPRESSION BRACKET, WHEN HE WAS DRIVING MANTRIP.

June 2, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Struck by falling object

A ROCK FELL BETWEEN BOLTS & PUSHED THE CANOPY DOWN INTO THE SHAFT CAUSING THE CANOPY TO HIT THE EMPLOYEE IN THE TOP OF HIS HEAD. ROCK THEN FELL OFF OF CANOPY & STRUCK EMPLOYEE.

May 15, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Mountain Edge Mining, Inc. · Fall onto or against objects

Employee's foot got caught on something and caused him to fall into the bolt bin.

January 13, 2006 WV · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator POWERED HAULAGE
Old Country Mining, Inc. · Struck by powered moving object

EMPLOYEE WAS CLEANING THE FEEDER WHEN THE SCOOP STRUCK TRAM & FOLDED EMPLOYEE UPON THE DUMP & BOWED SCOOP UP INTO TOP CAUSING EE TO BRAKE HIS LT. ARM.

January 12, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Old Country Mining, Inc. · Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was pinned against wall by equipment while bolting a place.

January 5, 2006 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) MACHINERY
Old Country Mining, Inc. · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was operating a double head bolter and dropped the pot on his left knee.

2005 · 4 incidents

December 29, 2005 WV · Coal scoop car/scooptram operator, load/haul/dump (lhd) operator, teletram operator OTHER
Old Country Mining, Inc. · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was finishing up on his second shift job when he stepped out of his scoop and fell over dead.

October 6, 2005 WV · Coal bull gang foreman, labor foreman, leadman, section foreman, shift boss SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Old Country Mining, Inc. · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE stated that he was checking face at #2 entry when he slipped in mud & knee locked up & popped.

June 21, 2005 WV · Coal FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Old Country Mining, Inc. · Accident type, without injuries

A ROOF FALL MEASURING 20'X30'X6' OCCURRED ON 1ST LEFT PANEL 2 CROSSCUTS INBY SPAD NO 71. THIS IS NOT AN ACTIVE AREA AND FALL WILL NOT BE CLEANED UP.