Mettiki Coal LLCMining Incidents in 2004

A FALL OF ROOF OCCURRED AT THE #5 BK CROSSCUT #2 - #3 ENTRIES ON THE 30 BUTT SECTION. FALL WAS OUTBY WORKING SECTION. NO INJURIES OR EQUIPMENT INVOLVED. FALL WAS 20 FT IN LENGTH, 16 FT IN WIDTH AND 8 FT IN HEIGHT.

PERSON WAS STANDING ON RELAY BAR FOR #4 SUPPORT OPERATING BOAT WINCH FOR TEARDOWN SCREEN. WHEN #4 PUSH VALVE WAS ACTIVATED RELAY BAR MOVED TO PUSH PANLINE AND PERSON'S FOOT WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN RELAY BAR AND PANLINE BRACKET CAUSING CRUSHING INJURY TO RIGHT TOES. PERSON LOST PART OF TOE ON RIGHT FOOT.

INJURED WAS SAWING POST WHEN BUNDLE OF POST BEHIND HIM BROKE LOOSE & HIT HIM ON LEG & BACK CAUSIG A RIGHT KNEE SPRAIN & BRUISED BACK.

INJURED PERSON & ANOTHER MECHANIC WERE SLIDING A NEW HYD. CYLINDER INTO THE BOOM TUBE ON LW MULE. WHEN THE HYD. CYLINDER SLID INTO THE INJURED PERSON HE CAUGHT HIS RT. HAND BETWEEN BOOM FRAME & SLATE BAR THAT WAS BEING USED TO HOLD THE CYLINDER. FRACTURE TO FINGER ON RT. HAND.

Injured was carring bits when he slipped on discharge hose falling on his left knee/ causing pulled ligments.

Person was standing up on belt tailpiece removing piece of steel bolt wrench from discharge of section feeder. After removing piece of steel he went to step down and his right foot slipped off wooden jill poke and he twisted his right ankle.

Injured was handing a crib block to another employee. His foot was in mud, he tried to move foot and heard ankle pop causing a sprain.

PERSON WAS WALKING UP A SET OF WOODEN STEPS AT OVERCAST ON 33 BUTT BELT. THE STRINGER FOR THE STEPS BROKE AND HE FELL WITH THE WOODEN STEPS. HE FELL ABOUT 7 FEET TO THE BOTTOM, CAUSING INJURY TO LEFT HAND AND FINGERS.

Injured was pulling cable when he stepped on a rock causing a bruise to his left foot.

EMPLOYEE SAID HE HURT HIS BACK. DID NOT FILL OUT ACCIDENT REPORT. NO ONE AT THE MINE KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. I HAVE CALLED EVERY DAY. CANNOT GET HIM ON THE PHONE. I TOLD HIS MOTHER I HAD TO TALK TO HIM. AS OF 9/21/04 HE HAD NOT CONTACTED ME.

TWO MEN WERE MOVING 60"" BELT SADDLES (20 FT. & 25 FT.) TO SPLICING STATION FOR AFTERNOON SHIFT. AFTER MOVING THE SADDLES, EE FELT PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK. HIS CONDITION HAS WORSENED AND HE BEGAN TO MISS WORK ON 9/20/04.

INJURED WAS CARRYING WATER LINE ON SHOULDER WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL, THE WEIGHT OF THE PIPE CAUSED PULLED LIGAMENTS.

PERSON WORKED ALL DAY ON 34 BUTT BELT DRIVE ALIGNING POWER PACK. EE DID NOT REPORT ANY TYPE OF INJURY THAT DAY. THE PAIN BECAME ACUTE ON SATURDAY EVENING & SUNDAY. ON MORNING OF 8/16/04, EE CALLED IN TO WORK & REPORTED INJURY TO SUPERVISOR. EE WENT TO THE DR. ON 8/16/04.

Miner operator was cleaning up rock in face with continuous miner. A large piece of rock traveled back the conveyor boom and fell off striking a 1-1/4"" rubber water line. The water line came loose from rib board where it was hung and struck injured person on lower left side of back. Person went to doctor on 8-12-04 and had back adjusted.

Person was trying to lift belt skirting out at belt discharge, his foot slipped as he was lifting and he felt pain in lower left part of his back. belts were idle when accident occurred.

Injured was digging a ditch when a piece of slate fell from top striking him on head causing a pulled muscle in lower neck and upper back.

PERSON STEPPED UP ONTO A LOWBOY WHICH HAD A 4W SHEILD ON IT TO UNLOCK CHAIN, WHEN HE STEPPED BACK DOWN FROM THE LOWBOY TO START UNLOADING 4W SHEILD HE FELT PAIN IN RT. KNEE. PERSON SAID HE FELT SOMETHING WHEN HE STEPPED UP ONTO LOWBOY & THEN IT GOT WORSE WHEN HE STEPPED OFF.

Injured was plastering a stopping with b bond when some of the material got under his glove causing burns to his right hand and forearm.

INJURED WAS SETTING STEEL BEAMS. ONE END OF BEAM FELL CATCHING LEFT RING FINGER BETWEEN BEAM AND SCOOP BUCKET CAUSING A FRACTURE.

PERSON WAS WALKING ACROSS FACE OF LONGWALL, TRIPPED OVER RELAY BAR AND FELL. PERSON COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN LOWER BACK.

PERSON WAS HELPING TO PULL A SECTION OF RAIL. HE AND 3 OTHER MEN WERE USING RAILTONGS TO PULL THE RAIL. WHILE PULLING HE FELT PAININ HIS RIGHT ARM AT THE SHOULDER. HE CONTINUED TO WORK UNTIL 3/15 WHEN HE WENT TO THE DR. THE DR. HAD HIM OFF WORK UNTIL AN MRI COULD BE DONE. THE MRI RESULTS DID SHOW ARTHRITIS AND BURSITIS. A CORTIZONE SHOT WAS GIVEN ON 3/19 AND RTW ON 3/22.

PERSON WAS LIFTING MECHANICS TOOL BAG TO PLACE ON TOP OF SCOOP. WHEN PERSON LIFTED BAG AND TURNED TO PUT IT ON SCOOP. HE TWISTED HIS LOWER BACK AND HAD SHARP PAIN IN LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF BACK. PERSON BEGAN TO MISS WORK ON 3-8-04.

EE HAD DESCENDED STEPS FROM #25 BELT TAIL AREA & WHEN HE REACHED GROUND LEVEL & STARTED WALKING TOWARDS LOAD-OUT BLDG., HE SLIPPED ON ICEY AREA & FELL. EE'S RT. ANKLE TURNED AND HE FELL ON HIS ANKLE CAUSING SPRAIN AND TWISTING.

PERSON WAS USING WATER HOSE TO WASH AREA AROUND GRIZZLEY SCREEN. PERSON WAS BENT OVER USING WATER HOSE & JERKED HOSE TO PULL UP SOME MORE SLACK TO REACH FURTHER OUT. PERSON FELT SHARP PAIN IN LOWER BACK WHEN HE JERKED HOSE TO GET MORE SLACK.

Injured was building a seal wall when som block fell from wall striking him on lower left leg causing a fracture

Injured was tightening bolts on rail joint when wrench slipped catching left ring finger between wrench and cross tie causing a fracture.

PERSON WAS OPERATING SCOOP AND STOPPED TO PICK UP SOME TRASH TO PUT IN SCOOP BUCKET. WHEN PERSON STEPPED OUT OF OPERATOR'S DECK ON SCOOP HE TWISTED HIS LEFT KNEE WHEN HIS FOOT SLIPPED IN SMALL HOLE WHICH HAD WATER OVER IT. PERSON HAD INJECTED IN LEFT KNEE ON 1/31/05.

Injured person was reaching down to move miner cable out of the way and lost his balance and fell. When person was falling he reached out with his left hand to catch himself and caused injury to left wrist.

Injured person was using hammer and chisel to remove the race from gear on headgate ranging arm. A steel fragment came off gear and imbedded in side of left hand. person went to doctor but fragment was not removed.

EE WAS TRAVELING OUT INTAKE ENTRY WITH MSHA INSPECTOR TO CHECK S BUTT PUMP. AREA HAS BRIDGE BUILT OVER STANDING WATER. EE WAS BENT OVER, DUCK-WALKING IN THE LOW AREA AND RAN INTO A METAL BEAM WITH HIS HEAD. THIS JAMMED HIS BACK AND NECK, CAUSING PAIN IN LEFT LOWER BACK AND LEG.

PERSON WAS STANDING ON WALKWAY OF BOLTER PUTTING UP THE HARDWARE TO CONNECT SLINGS THAT HAD BEEN INSTALLED FOR ROOF SUPPORT. GRADE IN AREA IS STEEP & PERSONS FOOT SLIPPED OUT & HE FELL TO THE METAL WALKWAY ON HIS BUTTOCKS. EE WENT TO A CHIROPRACTOR.

EE WAS HELPING TO HANG STIFF ARM FOR MONO-RAIL DURING LONGWALL MOVE. THE RED DEVIL COME-ALONG BEING USED TO HOLD ONE END OF THE STIFF ARM CAME LOOSE AND THE WIRE ROPE WITH HOOK ON END STRUCK EE IN THE MOUTH. THE HOOK CAUSED A CHIP ON THE UPPER LEFT TOOTH.

PERSON WAS HELPING REMOVE BELT FROM STORAGE UNIT. BELT HAD BEEN PULLED AND INJURED PERSON WAS DOWN ON HIS KNEES CUTTING THE BELT WITH A RAZOR BLADE KNIFE. THE KNIFE CAME OUT OF THE BELT WHILE CUTTING AND WENT ACROSS HIS LEFT KNEE, CUTTING IT. THE CUT REQUIRED SUTURES TO CLOSE.

Employee was unloading rock stuck in chute with sledge when he smashed finger in between beam and handle of sledgehammer.

PERSON WAS USING A PIPE WRENCH TO TIGHTEN BELTS ON #1 BLEND FEEDER BELT DRIVE. THE PIPE WRENCH SLIPPED AND PERSONS HAND WAS PINCHED BETWEEN GUARD AND HANDLE OF PIPE WRENCH CAUSING LACERATION TO LITTLE FINGER OF RIGHT HAND.

PERSON WAS HELPING ANOTHER PERSON CARRY VENT TUBING TO INSTALL FOR POWER CENTER INSTALLATION. PERSON WAS WALKING AROUND BELT TAILPIECE AND TWISTED LEFT KNEE ON OFFSET CAUSING INJURY. PERSON WENT TO DOCTOR ON 4/22/04 AND HAD FLUID DRAINED AND CORTISONE SHOT.

INJURED PERSON WAS LEAVING THE LONGWALL FACE TO EAT LUNCH. WHEN HE WENT AROUND THE HEADGATE DRIVE UNIT HE TRIPPED OVER A 4 FT ROOF BOLT AND FELL. HIS RIGHT HAND CAME DOWN ON SOE SHARP ROCKS CA USING LACERATION TO HEEL OF RIGHT HAND.

The Maryland Workers Comp Commission determined EE to have sustained occupational disease of binaural hearing loss arising out of and in the course of employment. Mettiki was notified of this finding on 11/29/04.

Injured was hanging highline when cable broke free striking his knee.

Laying panline, it slid off of flatcar and onto his right foot.