Big Ridge, Inc.Mining Incidents in 2011

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 5B belt line at 106 crosscut it measured 20'x20'x15' high. The fall did not affect ventilation, cause personal injury or affect passage. It will not be cleaned up.

While doing a daily hoist inspection, employee found a broken guide rope on the Gallitan County North Fan emergency hoist. The rope was replaced.

An unplanned roof fall was discovered by MSHA on 11/6/2011 during evaluation of a near by fall. The fall measured 19'x 40'x 6-8' high. The fall was in the 1st West Submain off of the 1st North Submain in Entry #6 @ station #29+95. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury.

An unplanned roof fall was discovered by MSHA on 11/6/2011 during evaluation of a near by fall. The fall measured 19'x 60'x 6-8'high. The fall was in the 1st West Submain off of the 1st North submain @ 26+75 in Entry #7. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury.

An unintentional roof fall occurred @ 93+66 on the Main North (crosscut 118) in the #3 entry. The fall was in the entry. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall measured 20'x 15' x 4' high and will not be cleaned up.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 5B intake @ crosscut 114 in the #3 entry. The fall measured 24'x 22'x 9' thick. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men, or cause personal injury. The area had been supported with both 4' and 6' fully grouted roof bolts. The fall will not be cleaned up.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 5B belt line at crosscut 99 in the #4 entry. The fall measured 22'x 25'x 8' and will be cleaned up. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The area had been bolted with both 4 and 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts and had timbers in the intersection.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 5A travel way at station 16+80 in entry #5. The fall did not affect ventilation or cause personal injury. The fall was in the secondary escape way which was re-routed. The fall measured 20'x 25'x 7' and will not be cleaned up.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the mmu 015-0 working section entry #5, 3rd left panel off 8th west submain. The fall measured 25'x18'x6.5'and will be cleaned up. It did not affect ventilation, passage of men, or cause personal injury. The area had been roof bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 1st right panel off 5th North Main (1A) intake air course entry #4 @ 7+35 (crosscut 10). The fall did not affect ventilation, affect passage of men or cause personal injury. The area had been bolted with 72"" fully grouted roof bolts.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 2nd right panel off 5th North Main (2A) left side return aircourse entry #7 @ 5+25 (crosscut 7). The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall area had been roof bolted with 72"" fully grouted roof bolts.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 5A travelroad at 52 crosscut on the 8th West panel. The fall measured 25 feet x 20 feet x 6 feet high. The fall had been bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts. The fall did not affect ventilation or cause personal injury. The fall was in the travelway so the secondary escapeway had to be re-routed.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the MMU 011 working section at station 7+35 Entry #8 intersection and the crosscut between Entry #7 and #8. The fall measured 50 feet x 19 feet x 9-10 feet high. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury.

An unintentional roof fall occurred @ 52+50 (x-cut 86) on the 5B travelway. The fall measured 20'x 22'x 7'. The fall did not affect ventilation or cause personal injury. The fall did affect passage of men because the fall was in the secondary escapeway. The stopping line had to be set over to make a new travelway.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the old worked out 1st East panel off the 1st South Sub-main. The fall was at station 14+00 in the #8 entry. The fall measured 20 feet x 20 feet x 6+ feet high. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 2nd West,station 63+73 in entry #4. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall measured 30 feet x 20 feet x 7 to 8 feet high. The intersection had been bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts, approximate date of development was 5/20/09.

An unintentional roof fall occurred at 75+30 in entries 1 and 2 in the 4H panel. The fall did affect ventilation because it took out a stopping between the intake and return. The fall did not affect passage of men or cause personal injury. The unit has been idle and is in the proccess of moving. The fall measured 100 feet x 18 feet x 4-6 foot high.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 4C belt line between 72 and 73 crosscut in the entry #6. The fall measured 40 feet x 19 feet x 6 feet high and will be cleaned up. The fall did not affect passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall fell on 54 inch rope belt structure.

An unintentional roof fall was found on 3rd shift while examiner was making his returns. Fall measured 60'x19'x8' high. Fall affected ventilation. It knocked out part of a return air stopping. Fall did not affect passage of men or cause injury. Fall won't be cleaned up. The stopping was rerouted & ventilation reestablished. Location of fall was 31+50 entry #4 in the 4C return.

Employee performed repetitive prying tasks at the rotary breaker head chute. On this day, employee states he pryed loose a rock in the head chute. Several days later, the employee states he found a lump on his groin area. It was diagnosed as an inguinal hernia. The employee is also a weight-lifter. Employee did not start missing time until June 22, 2011.

Employee had just got off of the dozer and was walking on coal yard to the road. The ground was crusty (frozen), ground broke through and he lost his balance and fell on his right shoulder. Employee continued to work until 5-18-2012 when he went off for rotator cuff surgery.

Employee was stopped and ask by another employee to hang miner cable. He shut off the scoop and upon exiting the scoop his right knee popped, employee stated that his right knee was burning and it hurt to straighten it out. Employee continued to work until 1/12/2012 when he had surgery for a torn meniscus of the right knee.

Employee was hand dusting a cut out of 7 Left when a rock measuring 30.5""x 35""x 3.5"" thick fell from the roof between the rib and first row of roof bolts and struck him on the head and right forearm. The employee was taken to Harrisburg Medical Center where he was diagnosed with a fracture to his right forearm.

Employee was moving a miner from the face into position for the next cut. A rock fell from between the bolts and struck the employee on the back. He fell to the ground and rock hit his left heel as well. Subsequent testing revealed two cracked spiny member od L1 and L4 vertebra and a fractured heel. Employee was taken off work on 8/22/2011.

Employee ( coal hauler operator) has been exposed to repeated jarring of his neck while operating his hauler. Finally, after a bouncing occurrence on the date of the report, the employee requested to be taken out of the mine for evaluation. The diagnosis was a neck strain due to the repetitive jarring of the hauler.

Employee was carrying a 4X8 sheet of plywood and attempted to set it down in a rack when he felt pain in his left knee. Employee continued to work, but still had pain. He was taken off work on 8/16/2011. Subsequent review of medical data was performed to properly classify the injury/illness.

EE was riding cage out of shaft had his hand on the outside causing it to get smashed.

The employee (a Mine Examiner) states he was walking on the back side of the 4th North belt when he tripped over a water line coupling, fell, and struck his forehead against the belt structure. The injury required 12 sutures.

While shoveling the 5C head his shovel got caught in belt and kicked back. When the shovel kicked back it dislocated pointing finger on his right hand and tore the tendon. Employee continued to work until 7/11/11 when he went off work for surgery on his finger.

EE was running 630 Mucker when bullhose blew apart and caused dust. Ee was dodging bullhose and landed under mucker bucket when it fell and pinned him.

EE stated he hurt his leg will walking the overland belt. On 12/15/11 the ee had back surgery. The operator is reporting this as an illness because the surgery repaired degenerative issues and does not have an event problem.

Employee was shoveling on the belt line when a rock approx. 2 feet around and 12 inches thick fell from the roof and struck him on the head causing strain and pain to his neck.

Employee and others were hanging miner cable early in the shift. Employee is not certain of the time of any injury, but felt pain in his groin later in the day. Employee was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia from repetitive motion of entering/exiting the cab of his hauler and hanging cable. Employee was released for work, but began missing 3/12/2011.

Employee stated that he went to kick battery breaker off to lock and tag out for next shift. It was hard to kick off so I pushed real hard, something popped and burned in my left shoulder. Employee later went off work to have surgery. While off work, he had surgery on both shoulders.

Employee was observing roof bolting on the Main North Travel road @ x-cut #59. As the bolter was drilling a hole, the injured employee was squatted down with one hand on the mine floor watching the bolter drill, a rock measuring about 2.5"" x 17"" x 24"" fell out of the roof striking her left hand causing a fracture in it. The hand was put into a hard cast.

The employee was changing scoop batteries in a crosscut on the Unit 4 travel way, when another employee was driving out battery-first on a ram car and struck the front of the scoop bucket, causing the scoop to roll backward. When the scoop rolled backward, the injured employee's right leg was pulled into the area between the scoop tire and the frame of the scoop.

Employee was operating a Getman Tractor pushing a rock dust pod into a cross-cut. He had his right hand resting on a pinch point warning sign. When he articulated the machine, the center-section stops smashed his right ring finger at the pinch-point fracturing the tip of the finger.

Extra drill steel fell and hit our employee on the back of the head and left shoulder.

A mechanic was in the process of re-installing a cover on the roof bolter when it slipped out of his hands and struck him on both shins. He was taken to Dr. office where he received 6 stitches in his left shin. He was placed on restrictive duty by Dr.

Employee was standing on a conveyor take up frame beam when he stepped off the beam onto a water pipe and rolled his left ankle. The employee was restricted to surface work on 8/22/2011.

Employee states he was helping the miner operator remove a rock from the machine. He braced himself and started to push, when he felt a ""pop"" and pain in his left calf muscle. Diagnosis was a torn calf muscle and the employee was placed on restricted duty.

Employee states he was helping get a continuous miner out of a cut when the machine was hung up. He states he was tossing crib blocks under the tracks of the machine, when a rock fell from beyond supported roof and struck him on the back and left arm. The employee suffered a laceration of the left upper arm (22 sutures) and a fractured left wrist.

Employee ( a roof bolter operator) was waiting in a cross-cut outby the face loading his boom tray with supplies. He said he started to walk toward the back of the machine when a small rock fell from between the bolts, struck the front of his hard hat. The front brim of his hat cut his forehead requiring 6 sutures.

Employee walked through a curtain and stepped in a depression in the floor and twisted her ankle. Employee was released for restricted duty on 01/12/2011, then fully released for regular duty on 01/17/2011.

Employee was hooking up his material trailer to the back of the scoop. When he swung the tongue around to hook his trailer up, he smashed his left hand ring finger. The employee received a laceration which required 5 sutures to the finger.

Employee claimed that he was eating dinner at the dinner hole underground with his safety glasses on when he felt something in his right eye. Employee was seen that after noon by Harrisburg Medical Center and followed up the next day with an Optometrists where a piece of debris was removed from his right eye.

Employees were loading onto the cage, EE could not hear what the foreman was saying, so he moved closer but did not realize his right hand rested on the rail of the cage. A co-worker shoved the door to close it pinching ee thumb between the door and the framing.

Employee was walking toward the face, slipped on the mine floor, fell, and struck his forearm on a sharp rock. The employee finished the shift, but later went to a doctor who applied 9 sutures to close the wound. The employee was released back to work without restrictions.

Employee states he was swinging a sledge hammer breaking a rock on the refuge belt. He lost control of the hammer, it slipped out of his hands, and he struck his left thumb against the edge of the conveyor cover sheet metal lacerating his right thumb requiring sutures.

EE was loading muck bucket with 630 Mucker rock fell off of mucker dipper striking him on 3rd finger of his left hand.

Employee states he was installing a resin roof bolt. He bent the bolt, inserted the glue tube, then pushed the bolt in the roof. He failed to completely insert the bolt past the bend, and raised his boom and started to spin the bolt prematurely. The bolt plate spun around and cut his left elbow. The cut required 5 sutures.

Employee states he was putting a metal cover on a continuous mining machine when a rock fell from between the bolts and struck his right hand. This caused a laceration to the top side of his hand and required 8 sutures. This is a medical treatment injury (beyond first aid).

Employee states he was roof bolting, and stuck his drill steel wrench in the roof. He hit the wrench with a hammer and the wrench fell from the roof smashing his left little finger between the wrench and the drill pot. 3 sutures were required.

EE was assisting with grinding, Employee felt like he had something in his eye, employee stated he did not know if it happened at work or at home.

Employee is a roof bolter and stated he had a rock fall on his ATRS. He was preparing to clean the rock, turned toward the rear of the machine, when a rock fell from between the bolts and struck the back of his head and shoulder. He fell forward and landed on his left hand, fracturing the tip of his small finger and requiring 2 sutures.

Employee has been complaining about numbness and pain in his left hand and wrist. He has operated a continious miner for years and examined for years, using both levers on the miner and remote and stearing a ride through air courses. He was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syn. from repetitive motions of operating machinery. Employee did not start missing work until 2/17/2012.

EE was removing covers from top of cont. miner. When he was dismounting miner, his foot slipped off side rub rail, causing him to strike lt leg against rub rail of machine. EE received small abrasion on lt shin. EE felt pain in lt leg the following day. Dr diagnosed him w/cellulitis. Further visits determined EE had contracted MRSA bacterial virus. MRSA is a contagious virus.

Injured cannot point to a specific incident. He states that due to the repetitive work of his job(mechanic), his right shoulder started hurting over time and kept getting worse. His Dr. took him off work to rest his shoulder on 04/08/2011.

Due to many years of operating equipment employee is experiencing numbness in both hands. He was diagnosed with carpel tunnel in both hands and had surgery on both hands.