Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining CompanyMining Incidents in 2010

Mine examiners discovered a small fire at crosscut 7 on North Main 3 belt which was extinguished with fire extinguishers and fire hose.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from 11:00 pm until 4:00 am due to a faulty auxilary on main contactor.

The Cedar Creek Elevator was out of service from 12:30 pm until 3:00 pm due to replacing the governor's rope.

As the hoist operator was bringing two supply cars out, they became uncoupled and dropped into the slope bottom.

The hoist operator had droped the Barney car into the bottom. The right rear wheel had came off and caused the car to wreck. When discovery of the wheel missing, all employees were notified to evacuate the mine. The hoist was our secondary mechanical means of escape.

The Cedar Creek elevator was out of service from 7:00 am until 11:30 am due to a faulty contactor.

Employee stated that he slipped on mine floor. Upon the MRI showed degenerative nature of knee and several tears. Employee had surgery on 1/10/2011 which was his first lost work day.

Employee stated that he tripped over a water hose & fell. An MRI showed moderate degenerative changes & ACL partial tears. This will be the third surgery on his knee due to degenerative changes & ACL issues. Employee's first lost work day did not occur until 9/8/2010 due to surgery.

Employee stated that he was working on the feeder when a ram car trammed near him. The oil compartment caught his foot between the compartment and the coal floor. His FLWD did not occur until 03/17/2010 due to surgery.

Employee was assisting in patching holes/cracks on top of the dragline. When he was walking across the roof he slipped and fell on a patch of ice next to the dry walkway.

Employee was walking to his assigned equipment after he had attended his pre-shift toolbox session and instructions when he slipped on icy conditions in the parking area and fell on his back.

Employee slipped and fell on icy concrete in the steam bay. As a result there was green stick fracture to right fibula.

Employee was punching out a brass bushing on a drill machine when he missed the punch and smashed his left index finger between the hammer and the punch causing a blood blister and swelling to the finger.

Employee was operating a fuel truck when the operator drove through a drainage ditch going across a haul road. The employee fractured two lower vertebrae's as a result of the impact.

Employees were tasked to bring an electric rectifier from the surface to the haulage. During transport, the rectifier became wedged between the ribs of the drift. A 6"" x 8"" x 24"" timber between the battery loci and rectifier was a brace for the loci to push against. When the loci contacted the timber, the timber twisted and the movement caught the employee's pinky finger.

Employee was using a pneumatic chisel to remove bits from a pick roll, when a small piece of metal broke loose from the chisel and struck the employees left arm.

Employee was lifting a 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons of water in the bucket. As the employee lifted the bucket, they felt a sharp pain in their lower back. As a result the employee re-injured his back from an off the job injury that resulted in back surgery earlier this year.

Employee reported that he strained his neck and felt it several times before but more so on 7-2-10 after unloading rebar. He reports the strain is from 2008 injury. Employee did not report until 7-7-10; took vacation, then sought his own medical care, did not report to employer then. He was evaluated by doctor & placed on light duty. This injury may be linked to 2008.

Employee was assisting another employee on 384 drill. Employee took a step and stumbled, as the employee attempted to catch himself, his foot caught the hydraulic ram, causing the employee to fall from an elevated height of 67"" landing on his head.

Employee stated that he got his feet tangled up in the booster pump hoses and fell, twisting his knee.

Employee was working on a water truck and was using the tailgate to access the rear axle box. Employee was climbing from the ground into the back of their pickup when the employee felt their right knee pop causing pain to the employee. Employee had surgery on 8/20/10 to repair a torn meniscus and returned to work on 8/23/10 with work restrictions.

Employee was walking back to his fuel truck, when he slipped and fell on his back.

Employee was on the ground putting chokers on a large rock. Employee tripped and his right shoulder stuck the ground causing a burning, tingling, numbness to the arm and shoulder.

Towards the end of the shift, Rock breaker operator was checking the windows for hang-ups in order to determine and communicate to the next shift which windows required blasting. As employee was checking window 13 West, the window started spitting rock and employee was struck in his lower right leg by a rock.

Employee was removing a broken trip cable on a P&H 4100 shovel. As he attempted to spin the cable drum to continue spooling out the cable, he pinched his finger between the drum and guard.

Employee stated that he was holding a bar up that holds cylinders in place on the refuge chamber cylinder racks while another employee tightened the bolts with an impact wrench. The employee's finger got caught in a pinch point.

Employee was standing on a 14"" step stool to weld on a loader fender. He lost his balance. While attempting to regain balance, his right hand knocked off his welding hood and the tip of the welding rod made contact with his right eye. No lost time.

Employee stated that he bolting a strap on a locomotive when his hand slipped and cut his thumb on a piece of metal.

Employee stated that he had his hand on side of the canopy while shield was being functioned. This caused him to mash his left fingers, resulting in sutures.

Employee stated that he was in the process of moving a chain fall from above a chute when he slipped and straddled the chute.

A groundman at the Dragline #3 was assisting in the resocketing of the hoist ropes. As the EE swung a #20 sledgehammer, he missed square impact and glanced off the hoist wedge and hit right side steel-toed boot. The EE refused onsite treatment and was transported to a medical facility for evaluation.

Employee was using an 8 pound sledge hammer to strike a breaker bar. The hammer glanced off and pinched employees right index finger between the hammer handle and the breaker bar.

Employee stated that he was walking by the power center and tripped. He fell, striking his face on the ground.

Employee was tapping mounting holes so new bolts would thread easier when mounting a new starter. The employees head was directly under the mounting holes when a piece of foreign material fell in his right eye. The employee used eye drops and thought he flushed it out. The next day the mechanic went to a doctor and a piece of metal was removed from eye.

Employee was cleaning up material spillage around a rock breaker compartment. Employee picked up a rock and tossed it into the open raise. Blowing dust and rock particles came back towards employee because the chute had just been pulled on the haulage level. The left eye was irritated from the particles and rubbing of the eye; antibiotic eye drops were prescribed.

The supervisor of the long-wall crew was walking down the #2 entry and had started back to the face area. He saw a dribble of rock, looked up and a rock fell, stricking him on his left side head, ear, and shoulder. Employee recieved lacerations, requiring sutuers.

Employee was using a pocket knife to remove a zip tie when it slipped cutting his left thumb. Employee received 4 stitches as a result of the laceration.

The EE drove into a pot hole, the vehicle bounced, and he hit the left top door/cab with his hard hat. He was wearing his seat belt. First aid provided and transported to RMCH ER. Initial evaluation was a chipped back top tooth on right side. He was released back to work without any restrictions and referred to his personal dentist for further evaluation and treatment.

Employee stated that when they let an end of the monorail down, the other side slid off. The employee's thumb was caught on top of the motor.

Employee stated that he had pain in his hand and numbness of hand. Employee's first lost work day was 08/16/2010 due to surgery.

Employee alleges that he has carpal tunnel in both wrist from operating equipment.

Employee alleges that over 34 years of being a mechanic he has carpal tunnel in both hands. Currently the employee has not elected to have surgery.

Employee had surgery on right hand due to carpal tunnel. He is an electrician by classification and alleges that doing his job he acquired the symptoms for carpal tunnel.