INJURED THOUGH HE HAD A FUEL LEAK.HE SMELLED FUEL ODORS.HE STOPPED THE DOZER CLIMBED DOWN ON THE TRACKS TO CHECK FOR A LEAK AND TO CHECK THE OVERFLOW.HIS FOOR SLIPPED.HE FELL STRIKING HIS BACK
Sassafras Mine: 2 reportable incidents Coal
MSHA record for Sassafras Mine (mine ID 4607586). Fatalities, non-fatal incidents grouped by year, current operator and controller, and mine context.
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- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 2
- Years on record
- 1990
- Latest incident
- Dec 1990
Ownership history
- Superior Mining Company 1988 to 1990
- La Rosa Fuel Company Inc 1990 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Sassafras Mine sits in Lewis County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 8.1% of county employment.
Local economic context
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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.Lewis County, West Virginia · Population 16,808
8.1%
Mining share of county employment
$52,279
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.
Reportable incidents
2 on file1990 · 2 incidents
December 10, 1990
WV · Coal
bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer
SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
La Rosa Fuel Company Inc · Fall from machine
October 10, 1990
WV · Coal
maintenance man, mechanic, repair/serviceman, boilermaker, fueler, tire tech, field service tech
MACHINERY
La Rosa Fuel Company Inc · Struck against stationary object
EMPL WAS USING AIR WRENCH & OPEN END WRENCH TO TIGHT BOLT ON DRILL. HE WAS USING OPEN END WRENCH TO HOLD BOTTOM NUT & APPLIED AIR WRENCH TO TOP NUT. AIR WRENCH SLIPPED OFF NUT & HAND HIT DRILL HEAD CUTTING FINGER REQUIRING STITCHES.