Mining Incidents

Birch Surface Mine: 9 reportable incidents Coal

Weston, Nicholas County, WV  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4607097

MSHA record for Birch Surface Mine (mine ID 4607097). Fatalities, non-fatal incidents grouped by year, current operator and controller, and mine context.

Watch this mine

Email me when a new MSHA incident is filed at Birch Surface Mine.

Fatalities
0
Total incidents
9
Years on record
1987–1990
Latest incident
Jul 1990
Ownership history
  1. Grafton Coal Company 1986 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.

Birch Surface Mine sits in Nicholas County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 6.1% of county employment.

Local economic context
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Nicholas County, West Virginia · Population 24,446
6.1%
Mining share of county employment
$49,280
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

9 on file

1990 · 2 incidents

July 18, 1990 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Grafton Coal Company · Fall from machine

EMPLOYEE WAS CLIMBING OUT OF THE BED OF THE FOREMAN'S PICKUP TRUCK AND FELL WHEN CLIMBING OVER TAILGATE.

April 26, 1990 WV · Coal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Grafton Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

TURNED ANKLE AFTER STEPPING OUT OF TRUCK ON UNEVEN GROUND

1989 · 4 incidents

December 21, 1989 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer MACHINERY
Grafton Coal Company · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

RIDING DOZER IN SOLID ROCK WAS RIPPING WI TH RIPPER

October 20, 1989 WV · Coal front-end loader, scraper-loader operator, pan operator, payloader, scraper rig operator SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Grafton Coal Company · Fall from machine

PLACED FOOT ON TIRE WHILE CHECKING OIL LEVEL IN ENGINE. FOOT SLIPPED CAUSING FALL ONTO RIGHT ARM.

September 12, 1989 WV · Coal maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Grafton Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

TIE ROD END SMASHED AND CUT FINGER AGAINST STEERING JACK OF ROCK TRUCK WHEN MAKING REPAIRS.

January 16, 1989 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Grafton Coal Company · Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

PICKUP TAILGATE DROPPED ON LEFT RING FINGER. MASHED AND CUT FINGER.

1988 · 2 incidents

August 26, 1988 WV · Coal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer DISORDERS (REPEATED TRAUMA)
Grafton Coal Company · (Not Elsewhere Classified)

FILED HEARING LOSS CLAIM.

July 27, 1988 WV · Coal laborer, blacksmith, bull gang, parts runner, roustabout, pick-up man, pitman DUST DISEASE OF LUNGS
Grafton Coal Company · Inhalation of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

FILED BLACK LUNG CLAIM.

1987 · 1 incident

August 12, 1987 WV · Coal auger operator, auger crew supervisor MACHINERY
Grafton Coal Company · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE WAS LE5ELING UP CARRIAGE ON AUGER & HIT HIS FOOT.