Mettiki Coal WV, LLCMining Incidents in 2008

Location-east mains #5 entry #12 intersection. 8 ft long x 8 ft wide, 4 to 6 ft in height fall was a continuation from a previous roof fall in October 2005. Fall area will be cleaned up, rebolted and additional supports set in surrounding areas. No injuries no equipment damage. Mine was idle at the time of discovery.

An impassible condition on the tailgate was discovered during the on-shift examination of the longwall face. This condition was caused when gob rock came from behind the tailage shield flushed into the tailage entry. No roof fall occurred. Condition was reported to MSHA & Tailgate Blocked Plan was put into effect. Condition was corrected by loading rock out.

A roof fall was discovered in the #1 entry, #39 intersection on 5 Butt section. Fall was located 500' outby the longwall face. Fall measured 12' high, 25' wide X 20' long. No air course or escapeway ws effected by the fall. No injuries or property damage. Fall area has been secured and roof support installed. Fall was called in to MSHA & WV.

Person was attempting to lower fire valve installed in belt entry. The pipe the valve was attached to broke and when doing so struck the person in the head. The result of this was a ruptured ear drum, laceration to the head and fracture of the orbital bones around the right eye.

Person was pushing rock into longwall face conveyor after gob out occurred at headgate. While doing so he inadvertently fell into the face conveyor & was pulled under rock in the panline as conveyor was stopped. Injuries incl. lacerations to head & lower abdomen, fractures to pelvis, lt elbow & wrist, rt hand. Accident was investigated by MSHA WV & Mettiki officials.

Person was miner helper on section. He bent over to pick up and throw miner cable against rib & when he went to throw cable he tripped and fell head first into the coal rib. He continued to work until 1/7/09 and is now off work because of pain in neck and upper back. First day off work for this accident is 1/8/09.

Person had turned off a fire valve and after doing so, he felt a pain in his lower back. Valve had been left on to flush fresh water line after belt move. Person jerked on valve to close causing injury.

Person jumped up to reach a strap used to hang ventilation tubing. When he came down he landed on his left foot and his foot rolled causing the injury. Person sought medical treatment on 10/21, missed work on 10/22 & 10/23, was not scheduled to work on 10/24 & 10/27. Returned to work on 10/28. Total days missed - 2.

While getting out of the service vehicle his foot slipped off a metal bar located on the floor in front of the seat. When he fell backwards his left foot was under the seat twisting the knee causing the injury. The metal bar had been removed from the service vehicle floor and expanded metal has been installed on the floor to provide traction for sure footing.

Person was standing on top of continuous miner to hang bolter reflector. When getting down from miner he slipped falling on to elbow of right arm. Injury to elbow was a deep contusion and also infection from bacteria being forced under skin where his elbow struck.

Person was installing a 6-foot roof bolt and when doing so he overextended his reach causing injury to right shoulder.

While handling wood post, his hand was caught between the post and the top of a longwall support base lift jack resulting in the fracturing and laceration of the 3rd finger of the left hand. Person was wearing metacarpal gloves at the time of the accident.

While stepping over longwall support relay bar, person slipped on pavement spraining left ankle.

employee was setting roof support (rock Prop) for support recovery (Longwall) roof support kicked out while setting and struck employee on his left ankle.

Person was walking around corner at #38 crosscut when foot slipped on ledge in pavement and went into a hole twisting right knee. Area was wet and muddy with irregular surface.

While walking back longwall face, his foot caught the base lift jack of the longwall support causing him to fall. He used his left arm and hand in an attempt to catch or break his fall which resulted in injuring his left shoulder.

While moving a water pump and switch box from one location to another in the belt entry the slack cable was used up. When he got to the end of the cable the recoil jerked back on his left arm, injuring the elbow.

While lifting a base lift jack up, his grip slipped causing his left arm to spring back and come into contact with the shield leg jack. The result of this contact was a laceration and fracture to his left upper arm above the elbow. Sutures for laceration and cast for fracture.

Accident location: 5 Butt, # 2 entry, between crosscuts #2 & #3 - Track Entry. Employee slipped and fell while performing preshift examination. Stepped on steel rail (track), boots were wet causing to slip. Fell on cap light battery on lower right of back resulting in loweer back pain.

Operating roof bolter on West Mains section, #49 cross-cut 2 to 3. Operator got his ring finger of left hand caught between the drill steel and bolter head crushing end of his finger. Was holding steel and running the head up to connect steel into drill chuck. Was wearing meta carpal gloves at the time of accident.

Longwall foreman was conducting his examination of the face, when he was struck in the neck by a piece of steel that had splinted off of a cutter bit on the shear. The shear was operating in sandstone conditions and he was approx 20' from the shear at the time of the accident. Steel was removed, sutured to close the wound.

Crossing the spill board of the face conveyor using his left arm to pull self up, caused dislocation of left shoulder. Went to hospital to have shoulder reset. Was on light duty one day, then released back to fully duty. Ee has a prior history of dislocating this shoulder, non work related.

Due to wet material there was coal building up in the #1 feeder. EE used a step ladder to reach the 4inch access hole in order to use a high pressure hose to unclog the materail, when the materail broke free, EE lost his balance and fell about 3-4ft onto a belt support, resulting in a puncture/laceration.

Mechanic was adjusting the speed sensor on the longwall crusher when he jammed his thumb into the housing lacerating his thumb. The laceration required one suture to close. Mechanic was wearing hand protection at the time of the accident.

While performing duties as a miner helper he was struck in the mouth by an unknown object. The result of this was a broken tooth. Person was 10-ft behind and to the side of the discharge boom of the continuous miner while loading a shuttle car when struck.

While operating the shear in sandstone conditions, a small piece of sandstone struck the operator in the neck, causing a laceration which required 2 sutures to close. As a result of this accident, it is now mandatory to wear neck protection when operating the shear in sandstone conditions.

Right index finger was injured by edge of shuttle car door that had been removed for repairs. The door slipped from the position it was in, coming in contact with finger, causing laceration that required 6 sutures to close.

When cutting insulation back from a 8/3 cable with a razor knife, the blade slipped and came in contact with the index finger of the left hand lacerating the finger requiring three (3) sutures to close and a tetanus shot.

While dispensing tko hand cleaner on to hand the cleaner splashed into the right eye causing an abrasion to the eye. This required prescription medication for treatment.

Accident location: Mountain View portal building, shower room. EE slipped and fell while walking from shower room to locker. Struck the back of his head on bench, resulting in a laceration, which required two sutures to close.

Shear was cutting out at headgate, in sandstone roof conditions. One of the cutting bits shattered on the drum and when doing so a piece of carbide from the bit struck the operators right hand causing a puncture wound requiring one suture to close. Metal was removed from wound by operator.

EE was operating roof bolter on the #1 section face. While placing drill steel in bolter chuck the drill bit caught on a piece of wire roof mat knocking bit from steel falling and striking EE in the mouth breaking upper front tooth.

While repairing miner cable, EE was cutting outer jacket off cable holding cable in left hand, using razor knife with right hand. Razor knife slipped off cable and pentrated palm of left hand causing laceration requiring sutures to close. Razor knife safety was review with employee after accident and the with all miners in the weekly safety meeting.

EE was attempting to loosen a chain attached to a scoop bucket when the lose end of the chain struck him on the mouth. This resulted in breaking part of one of his upper teeth off. The chain had been used to secure materials that had been unloaded from scoop.