Upco Coal Inc · Fall from machine
PUTTING OIL INTO DOZER. SLIPPED ON TRACK AND FELL TO THE GROUND, TWISTING RIGHT ANKLE. CONDITIONS: WET, RAINY AND MUDDY.
Rooting Strip: 3 reportable incidents Coal
Rooting Strip has had no fatalities among 3 reportable incidents since 1986.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 3
- Years on record
- 1986–1996
- Latest incident
- Apr 1996
Ownership history
- Galloway Company Inc 1975 to 1984
- La Rosa Fuel Company Inc 1984 to 1985
- Upco Coal Inc 1985 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
ⓘ
Coal production is reported quarterly and lags the current period; the most recent quarters may be incomplete.| Year | Employees | Coal produced (tons) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 4 | 21,401 |
| 1995 | 4 | 34,320 |
| 1994 | 7 | 43,114 |
| 1993 | 6 | 65,469 |
| 1992 | 2 | 16,866 |
| 1991 | 1 | 758 |
| 1990 | 8 | 44,151 |
| 1989 | 18 | 61,991 |
| 1988 | 15 | 94,565 |
| 1987 | 18 | 147,619 |
| 1986 | 20 | 107,222 |
| 1985 | 11 | 82,082 |
| 1984 | 16 | 115,712 |
| 1983 | 2 | 331 |
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly; years before 2000 come from MSHA's archived Part 50 employment files.
Rooting Strip sits in Upshur County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 5.1% 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.Upshur County, West Virginia · Population 23,758
5.1%
Mining share of county employment
$51,859
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
3 on file1996 · 1 incident
Show 2 earlier incidents Hide earlier incidents
1994 · 1 incident
October 17, 1994
WV · Coal
bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer
SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Upco Coal Inc · Fall from machine
THE WEATHER WAS DRY AND WAR. FOOT SLIPPED ON TRACK OF MACHINE-FELL OFF.
1986 · 1 incident
October 8, 1986
WV · Coal
bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer
MACHINERY
Upco Coal Inc · Fall from machine
SIMPLY STATED T2E CATERPILLAR DOZER BEING OPERATED BY I.NAME FAILED TO STOP WHEN WORKING ON A 4-1 SLOPE PROJECT ALONG UPCO COAL INC.S HAUL ROAD CONTRUCTION. THE DOZER WENT OFF THE SLOPE AND IN TO A 8' DITCH A5ONG THE HAUL ROAD LANDING ON THE DOZER BLADE. I.NAME WAS THROWN FROM THE DOZER TO THE GROUND, RECEIVING CUTS TO HIS FACE AND LEFT HAND, REQUIRING STITCHES.