Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining CompanyMining Incidents in 2009

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from 6:53 am until 9:46 am due to an auxilary brake contactor fault.

The Cedar Creek elevator was out of service from 8:20 PM until 11:50 PM due to a faulty switch.

Eight miners were stuck on the Service Elevator due to a DC Fault due to the brake liners.

The Cedar Creek elevator was taken out of service due to a DC Fault caused by the brake liners coming out.

The Cedar Creek elevator was taken out of service to replace slack rope indicator.

The Cedar Creek elevator was out of service from 6:30 pm until 7:30 pm due to a guide wheel was out of alignment.

The Tyro Creek Elevator was out of service from 5:45 am until 1:45 due to a car overload fault.

The Cedar Creek Service Elevator was taken out of service due to wear on the ropes of the elevator.

Supervisor was making prestart face exam and found low volume of air on face. Went to bleeder and found two brattices damaged, most likely from fall of gob. Notified CP person who began withdrawal of Miners, except those needed to repair brattice.

The Longwall experienced the first fall of roof in the gob behind the shields. The fall damaged a few ventilation devices behind the set up entry. A brattice, a set of run through doors, a regulator, and 9 curtains were damaged.

Two persons were trapped on the elevator from 12:05 to approximately 1:35 due to a fault in the PLC of Cedar Creek Elevator.

Employee was carrying two boxes containing a gear and another with bolts. When going through the door to the shop where he was delivering the parts he tripped on the door threshold. The employ ee caught his balance but felt a burning sensation in his stomach. After visiting the doctor it was found to be a hernia in the stomach area.

Employee was operating Loci when he jolted his back in the seat as the loci & train transitioned from rail to pocket rollers. He RTW & continued assigned duties, no day missed. No new event, inj. or work cond. aggravated injury. Became DAFW when doctor took him off work due to employee complaints of cont. pain. Appt to consult for surgery - June, 2010. First day missed 5-12-10.

Employee was in the process of troubleshooting Trolley Loci #682 in the Haulage Level Panel 14. The employee was boarding the rear electrical compartment when he felt a pulling sensation in his lower mid abdominal section. Released with no restrictions.

Employee was assisting in replacing the boom lift jack on the Fletcher Roof Bolter when the boom fell fracturing his right arm.

Two employees were leveling the rakes on #5 Thickener. They had a wrench on one of the adjusting bolts for the rake. Employee 1 was pulling and employee 2 was pushing on the wrench. Employee 1 felt a sharp pain to the lower back that traveled to the lower abdominal area. * Started losing time on 8/25/09

Haulage train, powered by Trolley #685, loading ore cars on the haulage level was struck from behind by a second train entering the same loading panel. No damage or injuries were reported at the time. Several weeks later, employee in Trolley #685 complained of back pain associated with the incident.

Employee stated that he was assisting another employee with a wrecked jeep when the jack they were using, came out from under mantrip and struck the employee on the left elbow. EE FLWD was 7/13/09.

Employee was refueling a truck mounted compressor engine with gasoline from a five gallon approved safety can. The fuel splashed onto the hot exhaust manifold and was ignited. The resulting flash/flame burned the employee on both arms, chest, and face. The employee was transported to the local hospital and then was transferred to the burn unit at the Univesity of New Mexico.

Employee was raking on Flat Creek Main beltline when he felt a burning in his left shoulder. Employee's first lost work day was 9/25/09 due to surgery.

Employee stated that he was pulling the miner cable over with a cable hook and felt a pain in his lower back. The employee was diagnosed with two herniated discs in his back and placed on restricted duty on April 20, 2009.

Employee stated that he was moving a pump with a metal bar when he stepped on some loose coal and lost his footing. The pump shifted and caused the bar to jerk his arm. Employee's FLWD did not occur until April 15, 2009.

Employee stated that he was pulling 100 ft of suction line over the overcast when he felt his right knee pop. Employee first LWD did not occur until 5/28/09 due to surgery.

Employee stated that he was helping move the miner cable when he felt a strain in his right shoulder. Employee's FLWD was not until 4/29/09 due to surgery.

Employee was assisting another employee lift a part from a platform to a loading dock. Employee's foot became entangled in the overhead hoist chain, which resulted in employee tripping and falling backwards off the platform.

Employee stated that he was picking up a bucket of plaster with both hands when he felt a pain in both arms. Employee's FLWD did not occur until 2/23/09.

Employee was barring down loose ground when a chunk of concrete, approximately 40 pounds, fell on the employee's ankles, bruising both.

Employee was mucking in a line with a LHD with a cab. As the employee moved forward a rock came around the front of the bucket. The LHD wheel ran over the rock and jarred the employee resulting in a back injury.

An employee was getting in position to help guide a truck out of the shop. While stepping backwards he slipped on some ice and fell to the ground.

Employee was walking and said his knee started to hurt.

Employee stated that he was walking down a overcast stairway when his foot slipped off of one of the steps. An MRI was taken and the doctor placed the employee on restricted duty 8/10/09.

Acceptable conditions- Employee was removing equipment from belt structure and got his finger caught between two pieces of equipment causing a fracture to the left pinky finger.

Employee stepped off a ladder and felt pain on his left side of rib cage.

During Longwall recovery, employee was helping pull hoses off face with the use of a scoop and chain. The chain slipped off the end of the hose, causing the hose to spring back and strike the employee in the leg.

Employee stated that he was about to start pinning when a piece of draw rock fell and struck the canopy. It slid off the canopy and struck the individual.

Employee stated that he was loading a Kennedy brattice when he stepped on a rail and twisted his ankle. Employee was placed on restricted duty on 08/20/09.

Employee was swinging a sledge hammer and missed what he was swinging at. Employee felt like something pulled and reported next day.

Employee was in the process of removing two hydraulic lines on a hydraulic cylinder. After removing one line without problems, he was in the process of removing the second line when pressurized hydraulic oil sprayed him in the face.

While installing the saddle block at the load zone on a belt, the saddle fell over coming into contact with the EE's legs. Intial diagnosis was a first aid, however after continuing pain, the employee had an MRI done which showed a fractured left tibia.

Employee was air arching underneath a rubber tire dozer, however flashes reflected underneath welding hood causing flash burn to left eye. Employee reported incident to supervisor on May 8, 2009 at 10:00 am.

Employee was walking when she stepped on a dust covered sheet of ice. The employee fell on her backside and left arm. The employee went to the doctor and was released on restricted duty.

Electrician stepped on a rock while hanging electrical cable on the back of the south boundary drift in order to supply power to the new mainenance shop. Employee did not believe the injury to be too severe and continued to complete the task. The ankle became more swollen overnight and the pain persisted, causing the employee to request medical attention the following day.

When removing the S-cam on brakes, the employee struck it with a hammer and a piece of metal went into his left eye.

EE was removing rocks from the draw off tunnel when he lost grip, causing right hand to be caught between the rock and concrete floor in the tunnel. 1st aid was given, seen at ER, diagnosed with a hair-line fracture of his little finger.

While attempting to weld a sign to a post, the sign fell on the employees left index finger which was between the sign and welding table. The left index figer was fractured as a result of this incident.

Employee was lifting a scraper for belt when he strained his right shoulder.

Drill operator was entering the drill cab when he got his right index finger caught in between the cab door and door frame sustaining laceration and fracture to the tip of finger.

Employee was attempting to dislodge a tape measure that became stuck when taking measurements on a shovel bucket. When the tape did not come loose the employee grabbed the tape and pulled cutting his right index finger.

Employee stated that he was jacking out the cat tracks on the mobile tailpiece with a grease gun when the grease fitting broke and struck employee in the face.

Employee was hoisting a valve into place with an overhead crane & sling. The valve broke striking the employee in the lower jaw causing a laceration that had to be stitched.

Employee was using a com-a-long to raise a pipe in order to tighten support chain. A clevis that was supporting the com-a-long spread apart, allowing the com-a-long and pipe to drop, pinching employee's finger between pipe and support chain.

Employee was in the process of preparing base lift jack for shield removal. The saddle that holds the base lift jack vertical fell, striking/pinching employee's finger between the saddle and the base lift jack.

Employee was operating a 1350 LeTourneau loader when the right lift arm ball broke causing a major hydraulic line to get stretch and come loose and whip around hitting the operator's cab on right side. The impact of the hydraulic line broke the cab window and sprayed employee with splinters of glass, causing a cut on employee's right ear and shoulder which required sutures.

Employee stated that he was opening airlock travel doors when his knee ""gave out"" & he fell into the door. The treating physician says that his knees were ""bone to bone"". His first lost work day did not occur until 9/24/09 due to doctor's orders.

Employee was complaining of pain by his stomach on his left side. Employee stated that he had pain all day but thought he could come to work. After taking employee to the hospital, he was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix and was scheduled for an emergency appendectomy that evening.

Employee was operating scoop in the face area. Coworker saw scoop not moving and went to check. Found operator unresponsive with shallow breathing and pulse. Activated EMS system. Crew began CPR and transported out of the mine. Employe was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead of Myocardial infarction (MI)