Westmoreland San Juan Mining LLCMining Incidents in 2014

While conducting an evaluation of roof conditions in an outby area of the mine a geotechnical engineer heard what sounded like a compressed air leak. Upon further investigation he observed a broken nitrogen line and an area adjacent to this broken line where the oxygen level was reduced to 14%. The area was dangered off and the N2 supply was shut off. The pipeline was repaired.

IE and another EE when putting a spreader bar into a steal set. They had the bar ""or pipe"" between the 2 legs, & when other EE pushed the inby leg out by to put it in place IE's finger was caught between the pipe spreader & the I-beam leg.

Employee was injured while breaking the coupler on a charged nitrogen line. Employee sustained abrasion, lacerations to the face and he received a high pressure injection injury to his left ring finger.

Employee advertently placed his thumb in the hinge point of the door (unit 3571) and his supervisor closed the door on his thumb, resulted into left thumb fracture.

Employee was dragging a vent tube and stepped on a large rock, causing him to twisted his left ankle.

During roof bolting operations the wrench became stuck on the head of a roof bolt. While attempting to remove the wrench the miner's left index finger was caught between the drill mast and the wrench resulting in a laceration.

Employee was unloading a spray boom for the shearer from the back of a flatbed truck. The boom slid off toward the employee and as he tried to get away he tripped and fell. The boom struck him on the foot and leg. X-rays were negative however the employee was held out of service for 2 days.

Employee reported the injury on 3-22-14. He stepped over a steel set spreader bar and slipped on wet concrete and fell. Causing left knee pain.

Employee stumbled and tripped while carrying a rock dust bag, when he went to pick up the bag he felt a sharp pain in lower back.

During extraction of emp (w/personal Medical condition) EE injured his hand. Following the extraction he knew it hurt but was focused elsewhere until it worsened on 3-15-14. Went to Med. Ctr on 3-16-14 & xrays were neg. but hand was immobilized & dr recommended not using it for work 3-17 to 3-21-14. 3-17-14 was when he first reported it to supv & 3-18 was released to full duty.

Employee stated that her pain started hurting on 2-12-14 when she was operating the forklift. On 2-17-14 while taking parts to yard in the forklift her tail bone & back continuously hurt and was uncomfortable to sit.

Employee claims he was roof bolting & installing monkey face plates in the 402 beltline. As he attempted to install a bolt it bent & he removed the bolt from the wrench & he re-attached the wrench to try to straighten the bolt. As he was doing this the plate hung up & then released & swung around striking him in the back of his right hand.

Employee was removing belt structure and placing on skid. While loading a spreader bar the left end dropped and caused the right side to connect with a roller on the skid. The employee's right hand was pinched between the spreader and the roller causing his middle finger on his right hand to be pinched just above the distal joint.

Employee states Jan 8-11,2014 his back was sore. He sought treatment 1-11-14 & was prescribed muscle relaxers. He reported to work 1-15-14 & told his foreman @ 9:30am. At 12:00pm-1-15-14 he was taken to Reliance.Diagnosed with a thoracic back strain & released to restricted duty. He did not work on Jan 16&17. On 1-17-14 he was terminated for cause. On 1-20-14 released full duty.

EE was exiting the guard building and opened the door to walk down 2 steps to the pavement. EE missed the 2nd step which resulted in the ee falling backwards on her back on the pavement. Injury was a sprained back which was initially diagnosed as a possible fracture. The x-ray tech could not check x-rays until next Monday which resulted in the ee missing 1 day of work.

Roof operator was drilling a hole for a 8' truss bolt with a 7' drill rod & a 3' extension drill rod. After drilling the hole the 7' drill rod hung up in the screen he was drilling through. Operator reached for the extension & the 7' drill rod came out of the roof smashing his left thumb between the 2 drill steel and resulted into a fracture thumb.

Employee smashed his right ring finger while handling some belt structure. Resulted into a fractured finger and released to restricted duty.

Employee fractured the tip of his left index finger while installing roof bolts in 403. Employee received 4 stitches and released to restricted duty.

WHILE PUTTING THE SURGE TANK BACK IN PLACE, THE TANK DROPPED. EMPLOYEE TOOK THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE TANK AND FELT A SHARP PAIN ON THE MIDDLE PART OF BACK. WHILE USING THE SHOP FLOOR SWEEPER, THE REAR WHEEL HIT A HOLE IN THE FLOOR. THE JOLT FROM THE UNIT CAUSE PAIN TO FLARE UP.

Employee was moving the empty DSI box from the bolter tray after filling it with trash. When he let go of the box into the tray on the trailer, a sharp piece of metal on the box caught his glove and pulled his hand with it smashing it between the box an trailer, causing distal fracture left thumb.

Employee was struck near the left eye (under his safety glasses) with a high pressure plug from the main manifold block after removing the retaining staple from the plug. Employee received 6 stitches under his left eye.

Employee was working on unplugging a slick line with concrete in it for pumping a seal in the longwall. When he unhooked a coupler on the line the concrete sprayed out and some of it got in his eye.

Employee was using a 30# sledge hammer to dislodge the rock teeth from a loader bucket. A piece of metal chipped off the tooth and struck the employee in the arm. The metal was removed and the wound closed with 2 stitches.

Employee was helping hang a tube on the bolter and a chuck of coal came out of the tube, striking him in the lip, resulted into a laceration. Went to Reliance and received sutures.

Employee's recent audiogram results indicated that he had experienced a loss of hearing in one or both ears. The level of loss is such that he had experienced a loss of 25 dBA or more in one or more ear. This loss is in comparison to his baseline audiogram here at San Juan Mine.

Employee's recent audiogram results indicated that he had experienced a loss of hearing in one or both ears. The level of loss is such that he had experienced a loss of 25 dBA or more in one or more ear. This loss is in comparision to his baseline to audiogram here at San Juan Mine.

Employee's recent audiogram results indicated that he had experienced a loss of hearing in one or both ears. The level of loss is such that he had experienced a loss of 25 dBA or more in one or more ear. This loss is in comparison to his baseline audiogram here at San Juan Mine.

Employee's recent audiogram results indicated that he had experienced a loss of hearing in one or both ears. The level of loss is such that he had experienced a loss of 25 dBA or more in one or more ear. This loss is in comparison to his baseline audiogram here at San Juan Mine.

Employee was unloading oak planks and felt a pinch on his wrist and forearm, but continue working. At the end of shift his pain worsen and he was sent to Reliance. Diagnosis left wrist dequervines tendonidus.

This non-work personal medical event is being reported as soon as MSHA District 9 advised us to do so. The employee contacted the plant maintenance supervisor via telephone complaining of difficulty in breathing. Supervisor contacted on-site EMT who immediately responded. The EMTs determined that the EE required advanced medical attention & transported EE to the Medical Center.