Mining Incidents

Welch Branch Mine #1: 6 reportable incidents Coal

Divita Coal Company Inc · Underground
Controlled by B Douglas Divita
Ashford, Boone County, WV  ·  Abandoned and Sealed
MSHA Mine ID: 4607648

MSHA record for Welch Branch Mine #1 (mine ID 4607648). Fatalities, non-fatal incidents grouped by year, current operator and controller, and mine context.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
6
Years on record
1991–1992
Latest incident
May 1992
Ownership history
  1. Eastern Energy Investments Inccorporated 1989 to 1990
  2. Eastern Energy Investments Inc 1990 to 1991
  3. Divita Coal Company Inc 1991 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.

Welch Branch Mine #1 sits in Boone County, West Virginia, where the Census mining category is 10.1% 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.
Boone County, West Virginia · Population 21,312
10.1%
Mining share of county employment
$56,152
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

6 on file

1992 · 3 incidents

May 4, 1992 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) POWERED HAULAGE
Divita Coal Company Inc · Struck by powered moving object

EMPLOYEE STATED HE WAS SITTING IN BREAK WAITING TO LOAD BELT STRUCTURE.HE MOTIONED THE SCOOP OPERATOR TO COME CLOSER.HE WAS POSITIONED IN FRONT OF SCOOP AND THE SCOOP OPERATOR RAN ON HIS LEG.

February 28, 1992 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator FALL OF ROOF OR BACK
Divita Coal Company Inc · Struck by falling object

MINE OPERATOR WAS FINISHING UP A CUT AND STARTING TO BACK UP WHEN DRAW ROCK FELL ON TOP OF MINER. WHEN ROCK HIT MINER, A PIECE ABOUT 18" WIDE, 30" LONG AND 3" THICK, SLID ON OPERATORS DECK, HI TTING OPERATOR ON THE LEFT LEG- KNEE AREA.

January 11, 1992 WV · Coal roof bolter, rock bolter, pinner, mobile roof support operator (mrs) HANDTOOLS (NONPOWERED)
Divita Coal Company Inc · Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

REPAIRING ROOF BOLTER TRAM CHAIN AND A PIECE OF HAMMER CHIPPED OFF AND WENT INTO LEFT HAND POINTER FINGER KNUCKLE.

1991 · 3 incidents

September 10, 1991 WV · Coal continuous miner operator, coal mole operator ELECTRICAL
Divita Coal Company Inc · Contact with electrical current

EE WAS OPERATING THE CONTINUOUS MINER WHEN HE PULLED POWER CABLE TIGHT AT THE LESTRAINING CLAMP BESIDE OPERATORS DECK CAUSING CABLE TO TEAR INSULATION AND POWER HEAD GROUNDED AGAINST RESTRAINI NG CLAMP CAUSING A ACK BESIDE OPERATORS SHOULDERSHOCKING HIM.