Perry County Coal, LLC.Mining Incidents in 2004

A roof fall occurred at break 73 on the Big 4 belt. The fall measured 20' wide x 25' long x 8' thick.

Mine Examiner was checking returns and found rock fall which originated from the first break of the #3 entry, #5 left panel and through the #1, 2 & 3 entries of the #1 West Submains off the #1 North Main. The rock fall measured 170' x 22' x 6'.

The belt stopped and employee found rock fall in the #4 belt line entry, 28 breaks inby the Big#1 headdrive. The rock fall was estimated at 15'x20'x40' by the time top quit working and area was cleaned up the fall measured approx 15'x20'x70'.

Rock fall occurred 84 breaks inby the Big 4 headdrive on the South Mains. Fall measured 20'wide x 20'long x 6' thick.

Rock fall occurred 15 breaks inby the Big 2 headdrive on the East Mains in the #5 belt entry. Fall measured approximately 18'wide x 40'long x 5' thick.

Rock fall occurred in the #3 entry, between breaks 22 and 23 of the Roll Mains. Fall measured approximately 4' thick x 14' wide x approx. 20' long

Rock fall occurred in the #2 entry, break 15 of the Roll Mains. Fall measured approximately 10' high, 14' wide and 15-20' long.

A rock fall occurred at break 17 in the Roll Mains. The top had been previously bolted with 5' resin bolts, top was resupported with cribs, timber and cross beams. Fall measured 36 inches thick, 7 feet wide and 14 feet long.

A rock fall occurred 3 breaks inby 017-C section headdrive located in the first right of the first right off the Fields Fork Mains. Fall measured 4 ft thick, 40 ft long and 20-25 ft wide.

Rock fall occurred 56 breaks inby the Big #4 Head-drive, #5 entry (track entry) of the South Mains. Rock fall measured eighteen feet by seventy feet by one and a half feet to three feet thick. Ventilation was not impaired.

Rock fall occurred in number 4 entry of the South Mains 73 breaks inby the Big Number 4 head drive, fall was on the return side. The fall measured 18 feet wide, 25-30 feet long and approximately 4 feet thick. (No ventilation was obstructed.)

Mine examiner and state inspector were making the BMP in #4 right off the #1 right of the Fields Fork Mains and found several falls in which had fell above the anchorage points in the travelway.

Employee was bringing low-track to bottom of slope to get supplies and found roof fall. The fall was located in the #1 East Mains (No.4 belt located in these mains) break 35 and in the #3 neutral entry, fall occurred in intersection measuring approx. 20'x30' and 3-5' thick. Neither beltline or ventilation was impaired.

Section had to pull off panel because of bad top, state inspector was making returns and abandoned areas on 017 section and found roof fall at the face of abandoned panel located 3rd right of the 1st right of the Fields Fork Mains. The fall measured 20'x20'x9'.

002 Section was taking the 21st cut in pillar #5 of Perry County Coal Corp's approved pillar plan when they experienced a power failure from a burned connection in a junction box which disabled the Eimco Dash-1 miner. Miner was not able to back out of cut which allowed roof to fall on front of miner. (Retriever was used to free miner)

Mine Examiner EE was making 002 sections returns and found the rockfall at approx. 10:00am. The fall began in Break 14 #1 entry on 2 West submains and fell down the #1 entry of the #2 North parallel main approx. 1 break. The fall measured approx. 100' x 20' x 5'.

3RD SHIFT TRIED TO START THE BELTS AT APPROX. 5:30 AM AND THEY WOULDNT START. THEY BHOUGHT A BELT SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT OFF SO THEY STARTED WALKING THE BELTS. AT APPROX. 7 AM THEY FOUND A ROCK FALL OCCURRED 57 BREAKS INBY THE #4 HEAD-DRIVE IN THE BELT ENTRY. THE FALL MEASURED APPROX. 80'X20'X10'.

Employee was helping check empty train cars when he somehow fell under the moving train car and damaged his left leg to the point in which it had to be amputated 6""-8"" below the knee.

Employee was leaning against belt structure and had hands resting on DBT Scoop bucket, while batteries were being washed off and received minor electrical shock to hands. Employee missed 12-09-04 and 12-10-04.

Employee had packed oil and put on carrier on 10-19-04 and said his back was hurting. He said his back started hurting on 10-18-04 after he packed oil to the carrier and helped put the covers back on the carrier. Employee started missing 10-21-04.

Employee was helping to make a belt splice, while nailing splice employee strained neck. Employee started missing 10-12-04.

A piece of rock was hung up in the 12-A headdrive, while removing rock employee strained/sprained right shoulder.

Employee was split tramming single head roofbolter when he slew the machine around it bumped him on the left hip.

Employee attempted to remove a bag of rock dust from scoop while scoop was in motion and was caught between batteries on scoop and mine roof. Accident resulted in 5 stitches behind right ear and a fractured collar bone.

Employee was shoveling belt near Big #4 Head drive and struck/bumped right foot against belt roller. Employee stated he had had a history of bone spurs in both feet.

Scoop operator was attempting to move large loop of belt, scoop moved through under belt too far causing end of belt loop to come into operator compartment with operator. Employee started missing 05-03-04.

Employee was walking over from track to slope car at end of shift to go outside and his left knee just gave way. Employee started missing work on 03/30/04 pre-op for surgery to left knee.

Employee was working on brattices, he had finished one and started to work on another when a piece of draw rock (approx. 2'x2'x1/2-3""thick) fell out between the bolts and struck employee in the back. (Required stitches.)

Employee was bolting top, after he put the last bolt up he went to get up off knee's to move roofbolter up and when he stood up his right knee gave away. Employee had surgery and started missing on 06-16-04.

Employee was standing beside a co-worker who was jacking up a ride that had wrecked. The jack flew out striking employee in the head resulting in a laceration over his left eye (11 stitches) and a broke tooth.

Drill steel became lodged in top, employee attempted to put wrench on drill steel and slipped hitting up lever catching index and middle fingers on right hand between wrench and drill steel. (required 11 stitches)

Employee was sliding a piece of metal over a hand rail to repair hopper when his hand came in contact with a metal burr cutting his left hand. (Required 3 stitches)

Employee was making belt set-up and was rehanging cables at head drive. Employee got little finger caught between backboard and cable cutting finger on backboard.

Employee started to lift end of belt rail when someone else picked up the other end, causing rail to mash ring finger on right hand. (Required 6 stitches)

Employee was putting scoop on charge. When he plugged charger into batteries the male end of the plug shorted out causing 1st to 3rd degree burns on right hand.

Ride was blocked up where rear end had been replaced, employee was letting ride down when jack slipped out and bar caught his right thumb against bottom. (Required 4 stitches)

Employee was raising lid over PTO hook up when a rock fell off lid and caught index finger. (Required 8 stitches)

As employee was installing a roofbolt, the bolt caught a crack in the top causing the bolt to bend and the roof plate cut his left forearm. (5 stitches)

Supply car de-railed in a waterhole, car had been jacked up and pushed over on rail. Employee couldn't see rail to make sure car was on track because of water. Employee stuck hand under car to feel the rail and wheel to see if it was on the track, the car slid over catching his hand. (Fractured index finger on right hand and 15 stitches)

Employee was prying on a piece of metal when the bar slipped, catching his finger between the bar and bit lug on continuous miner. (Resulting in 3 stitches)

Employee was cutting belt to make a splice and knife slipped cutting right leg (5 stitches)

THE FRONT END OF WATER TRUCK HAD BEEN JACKED UP AND CRIBBED WITH 6"" CRIB BLOCKS IN ORDER TO REBUILD BRAKES. EE INSPECTED THE AREA BEFORE REMOVING THE WHEELS AND DECIDED TO REPOSITION THE CRIBS . HE JACKED THE TRUCK UP, REPOSITIONED THE CRIBSLIKE HE WANTED AND AS HE REACHED OVER TO PULL THE HANDLE OUT OF THE JACK THE 20 TON JACK SLIPPED OUT AND STRUCK HIM IN THE HEAD (BROW).