Knight Hawk Coal, LLCMining Incidents in 2021

A hot spot was discovered on a raw coal pile. This was on the south side of the raw coal storage pad near the wash plant. No one was injured. Equipment is being used to treat and remove the affected material.

A hot spot was observed on the raw coal storage pile. No one was injured. The material has been being moved by a loader onto trucks to be hauled away.

A roof fall occurred on the 3W/3N panel at 10xcut (660') in entry #3. The fall measured 20'Wx20'Lx5-6'Th. No one was injured and ventilation was not disturbed.

Pumps in the main portal pit could not keep up with significant rain event and allowed water to inundate into the portal openings in the mine. No one was injured and ventilation was not disturbed.

A roof fall measuring 18' wide by 20' long by up to 8' thick occurred at xcut 135-136 on the 2N/3ME submain entry #5. No one was injured and ventilation was not disturbed.

A hot spot was observed on the North side of the PEEP raw coal pad. No one was injured. The material was moved by a dozer into the feeder to be washed.

A roof fall measuring 18'W x 20'L x 5-6'H occurred in the intersection of crosscut 79 in #5 entry on the 2N/3ME submain. No one was injured from the fall and ventilation was not disrupted.

Pumps in the main portal pit did not function properly and allowed rain water to exceed from the sump area. This caused excess flooding in the pit and into the portal entries of the mine.

I.E. was hitting a pacer pump in a water tank with a hammer to clean the coal out of the pump. While swinging a hammer they felt a burn in both their shoulders. I.E. has continued to work until a doctor took them off for surgery on 8-23-2022.

I.E. was standing on a berm reaching down to pick up miner cable. As they reached down to pull cable out of haulage route, they felt a pop in their shoulder. I.E. continued to work until a doctor elected to do surgery on 6-22-2023 taking them off work.

I.E. and another miner were hanging miner cable across a crosscut. As the I.E. picked up the cable to hoist it up they felt a pop that caused a continuing burning sensation in their right shoulder. I.E. started missing work immediately after due to doctors restrictions.

I.E. was driving a coal hauler from the face to the feeder. A rock measuring 3.5' x 1.5' x 1-2"Th fell out from the roof. The rock hit the canopy and a piece of the rock came into the cab and hit the I.E.'s right arm. I.E. has a tendon in their bicep pushed back and a specialist took them off work on 10-18-2021 for treatment.

I.E. was setting up power in a battery barn. When the I.E. setup a breaker for a coal hauler charger on a distribution box they claimed to have received an electrical shock. The I.E. started having medical issues on 10-15-2021 and missed their next shift back to work on 10-17-2021.

I.E. was helping hang continuous miner cable across the last open crosscut. While hanging the cable I.E. felt a burning feeling in right shoulder. I.E. has continued to work until missing work on 9-30-2021 due to the injury.

I.E. was loading 6' roof bolts from the scoop bucket onto the roof bolter. As the I.E. lifted a handful of bolts to place on the roof bolter they felt a pop in their right shoulder along with a burning sensation. Upon further investigation the I.E. has a tear in their rotator cuff and is currently off work.

I.E. was lancing the off side shear jack pin on a continuous miner. While adjusting to cut a better hole they had some hot slag and flash blow back on them. This caused small burns to both their biceps and below the neck. I.E. worked until a doctor took them off for the burns to heal on 8-16-2021.

EE was attempting to clean mud out of their drill steel. While hitting the steel against the bolter drill pot, their hand slipped and came into contact with the drill wrench. Caused a fracture to their left hand. Employee has been taken off work by a specialist on 7-14-2021.

I.E. was replacing a piece of metal on a catwalk. After cutting the piece of metal and attempting to lift it up, they felt pain in their left pictorial and shoulder. I.E. has continued to work until being taken off for surgery on 11-04-2021.

Employee was filling the unit service truck with hydraulic oil. When walking around the truck they stepped on a rock that was buried in the bulk rock dust twisting their left knee. Employee was deemed unable to work by a specialist on 5-20-2021.

I.E. was standing on the side of the roof bolter trying to move a crooked bundle of screenwire on the bolter. They took a step back and tripped over a bolt divider on the bolter and fell to the ground landing on their neck and upper back. Specialist deemed the I.E. unable to work on 5-4-2021.

I.E. and other miners were trying to set a set of overcast stairs in place. When they lifted the stairs using machinery, wire rope, and shive wheel, the welds where they had the stairs hooked to the rope broke. This caused the stairs to fall and strike the I.E.'s left foot causing fractures in their toes.

I.E. was attempting to load a 10' timber into the bed of a mantrip. When they picked up the timber and carried it 10-15' to the mantrip, they felt a pain in the left groin area. I.E. continued to work until needing surgery that took them off work on 4-30-2021.

I.E. was bolting a crosscut right. While bolting the inside hole on the third row a rock fell out from in front of the ATRS pads. When the rock hit the ground it came back towards the I.E. and struck their left foot. Rock measured 5'x6'x Up to 1' thick. Rock caused fractures in the foot that required surgery. I.E. is a contractor under the mines supervision.

I.E. pulled up to a sled to hook up to a diesel scoop. I.E. picked up a roller frame that was laying in front of the sled to move it out of the way. As the I.E. picked up the roller frame they felt and heard a pop in their right upper arm area. Doctor restrictions removed the I.E. from work on 3-12-2021.

IE was pulling cable off of the roofbolter reel for an inspection of the roof bolter. IE pulled the cable through a set of curtains and tripped over a loop of cable that had been previously pulled off. As IE tripped another miner pulled more cable off and caused the IE to fall and contact their right shoulder on the ground. Restrictions have taken the IE off work on 3-4-2021.

I.E. was repairing the continuous miner. While positioned at the main controller panel a rock measuring 7'Lx3'Wx up to 5 inches thick fell from in between the bolts. The rock landed on top of the CM and then slid down the machine striking the I.E. I.E. received a fracture in one of their vertebrae and a laceration on their head.

I.E. was cutting a crosscut with the continuous miner. A piece of rock measuring 2'x1'x4in thick fell from in between the bolts. I.E. deflected the rock with their arm and it landed on their right foot behind the steel toe causing a fracture in the foot.

I.E. was tramming a roofbolter and was attempting to secure the cable to the machine so it would not get damaged. Part of the slack of the cable caught the tire of the machine and caused the cable to get tight. This caused the I.E. to smash their right thumb between the cable and the machine. I.E. has not missed work. Working as restricted duty.

I.E. and partner were bolting the last row at the face. While setting the ATRS the deflector pads knocked a rock loose. The rock hit the canopy and crumbled. A piece of rock hit the I.E. in the left side of the neck. This caused a laceration that required stitches. I.E. has continued to work. The size of the rock is unknown as it went into pieces after hitting the canopy.

I.E. was getting curtain drops from the tool sled crosscut. While walking back out into the travelway, they tripped over a piece of metal stuck in the mine floor. When they fell they struck their elbow on the mine floor causing a hairline fracture in their elbow. I.E. is working on restricted duty.

I.E. was riding in a mantrip out of the mine. They were putting on a sweatshirt and neck gaiter while in the mantrip. As they were putting on the clothing they received a piece a rust into their right eye. Reporting due to I.E. being prescribed eyedrops. Employee has not missed work due to the injury.

I.E. was attempting to unplug the reject chute at the breaker station which a prybar. As they were prying rock, some broke loose causing them to smash their left pinky finger between the bar and a surface. This resulted in stitches to the finger. I.E. has not missed any work.

I.E. was cutting a xcut right with the continuous miner. After setting over for their next lift a rock measuring (1'Wx2"Lx2"Th) fell from the top and struck the top of the I.E.'s right hand. The rock caused a laceration to the top of the hand that required stitches. The I.E. has not missed any work.

I.E. was recovering curtains from an old set of rooms. As the I.E. was pulling spads out of a 2x4 with a spad puller, it slipped from their grip and left a laceration on their left hand requiring stitches. I.E. has not missed any work due to the injury.

I.E. was installing a roof bolt and plate. They attempted to straighten out the direction of the plate. When they moved the plate with their hand it caught the core breaker row on the mine roof causing them to get their right middle finger caught between the plate and the mine roof. Small fracture and laceration to the tip of the finger. Employee has not missed any work.