Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining CompanyMining Incidents in 2008

The Tyro Creek Service Elevator was out of service from 9:00 am to 1:45 pm due to power outage.

The Cedar Creek elevator was out of service from 6:15 am to 8:30 am due to a problem with operating in the inspection mode.

The hoist rope for the Flat Creek Main Emergency Escape Capsule broke during a functionality test. Ice had accumulated on the guide ropes which stopped the capsule's descent, allowed slack to gather in the rope, and allowed the capsule to drop the corresponding distance of the slack in the rope, which resulted in breakage of the hoist rope.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm due to a frayed electrical wire.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from appr. 6:00 am until 8:00 am due to a broken bracket on the door locking mechanism.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from 2:30 pm until 4:00 pm due to a microswitch.

The Tyro Creek Elevator was out of service due to a bent stabilizer bar.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from approximately 11:00 am until 3:00 pm due to a power outage at the substation.

The Tyro Creek Elevator was out of service from approximately 6:00 am until 7:00 am due to wiring connection in conduit box.

The Tyro Creek elevator was down from approximately 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm due to the mine door locks.

Employee slipped and fell while drilling with jackleg. The jackleg fell towards the rib and pinched his finger against the rib. As result of incident, employee's last digit of pinky finger on left hand was amputated.

Employee was installing a rock bolt with a jackleg. While lifting up on jackleg in order to reposition leg back a few inches, the exertion caused his knee cap to pop out of place.

Employee stated that he was lifting top idlers for the belt set up and loading them on a skid. When he tried to lift a roller, two rollers were struck together, causing a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Employee's FLWD did not occur until 1/7/09 due to surgery.

While waiting for the employees shift to start the employee started cleaning up her reporting area. While using a shovel to move garbage, she felt a sharp pain in her hip. The employee went to the doctor and was not released to return to work because of the hip injury.

Employee was walking from the batch plant office to control room when he slipped on packed snow. The snow had been packed by the skidsteer the employee had operated to clear snow in this area. This resulted in a sprained let knee. *STARTED LOSING TIME ON 11/15/08*

As employee was riding mantrip, he raised his left arm up to shield himself from the run through track drops. As mantrip travelled through, his left arm was pulled back over his head.

Employee stated that he got off the ram car and was walking to the dinner hole when he tripped over a waterline. He put his arms out to catch himself and felt a pain in both shoulders. Employee's FLWD did not occur until 1/7/09 due to surgery.

Employee was entering the mine on the chippy hoist when it suddenly came to an emergency stop. Employee was jarred inside the cage and experienced pain in his neck, back, and shoulder.

Employee stated that he was installing a Kennedy stopping, when a rock fell from the roof and struck the employee on right hand and leg just above the ankle. Employee's FLWD did not occur until 10/11/08 due to surgery.

Employee stated that he was helping hang the miner cable in # 1 entry of Flat Creek 3 section, when he felt a burning sensation in both shoulders. Employee's FLWD occurred on 10/24/2008 due to surgery to correct the condition.

Employee stated that he was loading roof jacks onto rail car when he felt a pain in his back. He was diagnosed with disc herniation in his back. His FLWD was not until July 1, 2008 due to surgery.

EE was walking down the #2 Gallery from the #3 transfer to set an e-stop that was down. He came across two lights that were out, he reached to grab a hold on the roller frame and stepped on some gravel and slipped. His foot got caught on the beam on wall side and he twisted his knee.

EE was shoveling wet muck at #3 transfer house on the third level when he felt a pop in his lower back on his right side and fell to the floor. He got up and tried to walk it off. He was helped down the stairs to the truck. Assesment was made and decided to immobilize on a back board and transport to Holy Cross Hospital. Supervisor called the ambulance.

Employee was attempting to stuff and wedge an intermediate bolt in an overhead location. While holding/pushing the bolt, he felt a sharp pain in lower back. *Did not start losing time until 1/30/09 due to surgery.

Employee stated that he was picking up a bag of sand when he felt a burning sensation in his stomach. He was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. His FLWD did not occur until 04/19/08.

Employee was changing bits on shearer cutting drum. As he was turning drum he felt his left knee lock up. First Lost Work Day was 7/10/08 due to surgery to repair tear.

Employee stated that he was dusting a beltline when the dust hose ruptured causing the nipple end to strike his left ankle. First lost workday did not occur until 11/24/08 due to surgery.

Employee attempted to unplug a cement grouting hose, bled off pressure and loosened nozzle but remainng pressure caused cement to splash into his face and eyes. RWC.

Employee was walking in snowpacked area alongside the tailings pipeline. The snow pack gave way underneath his right foot and employee twisted his left knee. Initially treated as first aid and released to return to work. MRI on 3/31/08 indicated a small tear to MCL tendon with doctor recommending restricted duty and physical therapy.

An employee and his coworker were loading 6""x8""x10' timbers. The employees were in the process of moving a timber a distance of 2 feet horizontally and 1 foot vertically onto the loader forks when the injured employee's foot slipped in the snow causing a twisting motion. He felt pain in his right groin and later that day diagnosed with a hernia.

Employee slipped off loader while conducting pre-operational inspection. He had climbed onto loader for access to check fuel level and radiator. Employee slipped and fell to ground, landing on his right side and injuring his right wrist.

Injured employee and three other coworkers were preparing to build a brattice. Injured employee was taking the plastic shrink wrapping from a pallet of blocks. As employee was removing wrapping, a block became dislodged from the pallet, fell, and struck employee on the top of the right foot, resulting in a contusion.

EE was using a jackleg drill on a xlift installing ground support. 2nd ee entered the work area, failing to replace the safety chain on the deck. EE stepped back lost his balance and jumped back into the articulation area of the xlift with his hand on the engine cover for balance, thumb was struck by the jackleg. Sutures and Tip of thumb fractured.

Employee was preparing to drill a hole in the overburden. When applying down pressure, the pressure regulator apparently did not work and created full down pressure on the drill steel. This action lifted the drill off its jacks causing the drill to tip over.

While servicing a haul truck the employee stepped on uneven ground twisting his knee. The employee continued work for 4 months before irritation of the knee set in and had it examined. The physician found a tear in the meniscus and it was determined suregery was needed which was performed on November 11, 2008.

Employee was attempting to tip a standing full 55 gallon drum of oil in order for a forklift to get under the barrel to remove it from the back of a truck. The employee did not report anything unusual at this time, but did report the following morning he had incurred pain in torso area, allegedly from moving the barrel on the previous day.

Two employees engaged in horse play and sprayed cleaning agent into another employee's eyes. There was irritation to the eye but no damage according to the doctor.

Employee stated that he was repairing a splice, when he attempted to knock a clip off of a pin and his hammer glanced off of the piece of belting and struck his finger.

Employee was preparing to climb onto a dozer when his foot slipped. Employee held onto the hand rails causing him to strain muscles in his arm.

The employee stopped at an intersection and did not have a good visual because of the loaded bucket. He placed his hand on the door to raise himself up to get a better look. As he did this either his elbow or his leg contacted the control causing the machine to pivot pinching his right ring finger. The finger was also fractured. The laceration took 4 sutures to close.

Employee stated that he and a contract employee were moving eicotrac when the contract employee turned the eicotrac and caught the employee's finger between the panline and the eicotrac.

Employees were working on the haulage level pulling muck. Injured was in the process of placing a 4 x 4 rock remover in the chute to remove rock that wedged in the chute. Co-worker was operating the chute door upward slowly & paying attention to the remover & chute door while injured was guiding remover into position to push rock when his finger rock or the chute.

Employee was conducting a fan check. As he was walking around a concrete form in the early morning light he walked in to and struck some spare fan housing panels, resulting in his two front teeth being chipped.

Employee stated that he grabbed the chain to a valve block and it was not secure. The block fell on the employee's leg causing a laceration. This resulted in 10 sutures.

Employee was directing air flow onto himself from the air vents and inadvertently stuck his finger into the blower fan.

The employee alleges while lifting a 4"" water hose to attach to a valve on a truck he pulled a muscle in his arm. The employee continued to work with no restrictions from the doctor until his surgery on August 15th, 2008.

Employee was doing clean up at the 1045 conveyor belt next to and around the tail pulley area. She was using a wheel barrow to transport muck to an area where it could be dumped. When she was dumping the wheel barrow it twisted to the left and the handle of the wheel-barrow struck her on the left knee.

Employee was placing a wooden block to secure a shovel bucket dump door, when the wooden block slipped and caught his right ring finger between the block and shovel bucket, causing a fracture to tip of his right ring finger.

Employee in an attempt to locate hole under conveyor, ran his hand under conveyor pan. Employee's glove and right middle finger were pulled toward the screw conveyor and golve was pulled off his hand. Resulting injury to finger nail/nailbed required 3 sutures.

Employee stated that he was attempting to cut a rubber hose when the knife slipped and he cut his left index finger.

Welder was knocking on a knocker wrench with a sledge hammer, when the nut loosen it caused him to over swing the hammer causing him to hit against a protruding bolt with his right index finger. Welder sustained a laceration and fracture to the tip of right index finger.

Employee was performing maintenance on pump. Pump shifted forward, dropping down, pinching employee's left hand middle finger.

Employee was operating longwall shearer when he was struck on left side of face by rock, fracturing tooth.

Employee stated that he was pulling a fly pad down. While pulling the pad down, his hand slid across a nail resulting in a laceration that required sutures.

Employee stated that he was cutting a metal band on a roll of belt at Flat Creek No. 2 belt header when a loose end of the band struck him in the face.

Employee was loading belt wiper on to end of supply car. When he set it down on the car it slid over into the drive motor that was already on the supply car and pinched his pinky finger on right hand.

The employee was attempting to cut holes in his glove cuff to facilitate hanging them on a belt hook using his personal jack knife (leatherman tool). The leatherman did not have a locking blade device and the knife closed on his finger causing a laceration which took four stitches to close.

Employee was helping splice West Main belt and changed the blade in his cutting knife, which he thought he had closed the blade in the knife. While he was working on the belt splice his right hand came in contact with the exposed blade cutting the side of his hand where his pinky finger is.

Employee alleges his work duties through the years has caused Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in his hand requiring surgery to remedy the situation.