Big Ridge, Inc.Mining Incidents in 2012

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 4th North belt line @ the 218 crosscut (station 173+71) Entry #5. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall did cause damage to the belt line. The area will be cleaned up and arched. The area had been bolted with 6 foot roof bolts. The fall measured 35'x 20'x 15' high.

An unintentional roof fall occurred at crosscut 270 in the Main North Intake in the #3 entry. The fall had been roof bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall measured 30 feet long x 16 feet wide x 3 foot thick.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 4A return at 18+00 in entry #4. The fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or caused personnel injury. The fall measured 20 feet x 20 feet x 10-12 feet high. The area had been roof bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 5th north headings MMU 012 return @ 48+15 in entry #5. The area had been supported with 6 foot glue bolts. The fall measured approximately 19feet x 19feet x 8feet high. The fall may be cleaned up at a later date. It did not affect ventilation, cause personal injury or passage of men.

An unintentional roof fall occurred in the 2nd West intake @ 42+13 station in the #4 entry. The roof fall did not affect ventilation, passage of men or cause personal injury. The fall measured 20'x 20' x 10' high and had been supported with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts. The fall has been timbered off and will not be cleaned up.

A roof fall occurred in E#3 @ station 30+10 in the Old 5A intake. The roof fall did not affect ventilation, cause personal injury or affect passage. The roof fall measured 27'x 31' x 6'. The area had been supported with 6' roof bolts. This report is being filed to abate a citation, we do not feel that it is reportable. Area had been dangered and timbered out prior to the fall.

An unintentional roof fall occurred on the 5A intake entry #3 at x-cut 57 (32+20 station). The fall measured 20'x 20'x 6' high. It did not affect ventilation or cause personal injury. It did fall on the primary lifeline but their are 3 intake entries and the panel is worked out. The intersection had been bolted with 6 foot fully grouted roof bolts.

Employee was stepping out of battery transport when he struck his head on the mine roof, knocking his hard hat off. As he reached out to grab for his hard hat his momentum carried him forward and he lost his balance. His feet caught on the lip of the deck and he fell out of the cab. As he fell he attempted to catch himself with his right arm breaking his Humerus.

Employee was walking beside the double boom roofbolter when he tripped on some loose rock. As he fell he tried to catch himself with his right arm. He fell onto the floor pulling something in his right shoulder.

While working underground on 11/5/12 EE felt pain in his left shoulder. He continued to work until he had MRI which shows possible tendonosis. See Attached

Employee was carrying a 6 foot timber with another employee when he wrenched his lower back. The top was low in the area. Employee continued to work until 11/8/12 when the Doctor took him off work and referred him to a neurosurgeon.

Employee was in the intake working on a ramcar. He had to lift the screen over the tram motor. Employee stated while standing on the side of the ramcar he lifted the screen and felt a pull in his lower stomach. Around an hour later he felt a small knot in his lower stomach. Employee finished his shift and was later diagnosed with a hernia. Employee is scheduled for surgery.

Employee was lifting miner cable over the scoop to move a generator. When lifting the cable over the center of the scoop, employee felt pain in his left shoulder. Employee continued to work until doctor took him off on 10/18/2012.

Employee tripped and fell while changing batteries on his ram car. Employee claims that he felt something pop in his back when he fell. Employee was taken to hospital and follow up with doctor. He continued to work until 10/24/2012 when he was taken off for bulging disc of the L4 and L5.

Employee was lifting his tool bag out of his tool box when he felt something in his right shoulder pull or tear. Employee came out of the mine and was transported to the Doctors office. He was later diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff. Employee continued to work until 10/22/2012 when he went off for surgery.

Employee was cleaning in the unit 4 tail area, when she heard a rib crack. She took off running and fell down onto the ground. She landed on her right arm leaving a small cut on it. She was released to come back to work but did not come back because she is experiencing dizziness.

Employee was loading rock dust bags onto the scoop. Employee stated that when he turned to put the rock dust bag onto the scoop he felt pain in his back and right leg. A diagnosis of a lumbar disc was not made until 9/11/2012.

Employee was dragging a curtain to the face of the #3 entry when a rock fell out between the bolts striking him on his left knee. Employee continued to work until 10-15-2012 when he went off to have a torn meniscus repaired.

Employee was bending over when a rock fell out of the roof striking him on the back and spine. Employee walked to the dinner hole and felt faint. After this he was taken to Deaconess Hospital where he was kept overnight for observation and released the next day to go home.

Employee was closing air lock doors on the Main North at 246 x-cut. He had closed the west door, when he went to close the east door he tried to catch it so it would not slam shut. His right hand got caught between the two doors causing a dislocated wrist and torn ligaments.

Employee was putting two pieces of conveyor chain together. He had a hammer hitting another hammer putting a link together. A piece of metal flew off striking employee in the right arm. The piece of metal was removed from his arm.

Employee was putting a tire in the back of #15 truck, employee was picking a tire up and twisted a little, he had a little discomfort at the time. Employee said that he misjudged how high to pick up the tire. Employee has a lower back and groin strain. Employee did not start missing work until March 1, 2012.

Employee was getting a line curtain from the rib in entry #4 between 56+95 and 57+65, when he turned around he ran into a roof bolt plate that was hanging down about 8"" from the roof. He suffered a laceration to the forehead requiring 5 stitches.

Employee and 3 other co-workers were working on 242 miner, removing tram reducer, when the roof behind them started working. Employee stated he was bumped into by one of his co-workers knocking him into the front of the miner. As he was falling he reached to catch himself with his left hand. His left hand landed on a sharp rock which caused a laceration that required 11 stitches.

On 10/8/12 employee said that he had been having problems with his hands going numb. Employee continued to work until 12/19/12 when he had carpel tunnel surgery on his right wrist. The left wrist will also need surgery, to be scheduled.

Employee stated that he was having trouble with both hands. He said that they are going numb, tingling, and falling asleep. He was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and started missing work on 12/3/12 when he was scheduled for surgery.

Employee was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and started missing work on 9-11-12 for surgery on his right hand.

Employee started feeling numbness in both hands. Went to see doctor and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. Started missing work on 9/24/12 and was scheduled for surgery on 9/27/12.

Employee stated that he has been feeling soreness in his right elbow and did not recall any certain incident that might cause his soreness. Employee continued to work until 12/12/12 when he went off for radial tunnel surgery of the right elbow.

Employee was under a physicians care in April 2012 for low back pain. The MRI taken at the time indicated degenerative changes (MRI enclosed). The care provided was not a result of a work related event. At work in July, employee stated he had pain in his lower back. He was then off work on July 30, 2012. This is the result of off the job medical issues as well as repetitive motion.

Employee was diagnosed with carpal Tunnel syndrome on her left hand and started missing work for surgery on 6/18/2012.

Employee has been experiencing numbness in both hands and has been diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome. He started missing work on 8/22/12 for surgery.

Employee had pain in his right elbow and pain running down into right arm. Employee was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and had surgery on 8/31/2012.

Due to many years of operating equipment employee has numbness in both hands. Employee went off work on 8/17/2012 for carpal tunnel surgery.

(See Attach)EE has performed various repetitive activities over 25 years that involved lifting, twisting and turning. EE stated that during 3/2012 he aligned a cable and his back started to hurt. He worked over the next few weeks. EE stated that in 2006 he had degenerative disc problems. On 4/28/12 he was diag. with degen. disc disease.The EE worked until his surgery 5/14/12.

Degenerative - walking See Attachment

Employee claims both hands are going numb and running up both arms. Diagnosed with carpel tunnel in the right hand. Started missing work on 8-9-12 when he went off for surgery on the right wrist.

(See Attachments) EE has been a mechanic who had years of repeated pulling and pushing on wrenches and pry bars. On 1/25/12 he felt pain in his right shoulder. He was diag. on 8/31/12 with rotator cuff tendonitis, degen. changes of the joints.

Employee was diagnosed with Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease. (See Attachment)