William Pardee, 62, a 40-year mining veteran, was working underground at Amfire’s Nolo operation in Cambria County at about 4am local time July 11 when he was pinned between a feeder and mine rib.
He was preparing to tram the feeder to a belt tail after a move, the agency said, and when the feeder started, it pivoted suddenly.
The agency added that another miner working nearby used the emergency stop switch on the other side of the feeder to shut down the machine. An emergency medical technician on duty underground was brought to the scene but no signs of life were found.
In hopes of avoiding similar such incidents in the future at US mines, MSHA developed a series of best practices for miners conducting work with or near feeders. They include:
- Provide a protective guard to shield the control levers from unintentional activation;
- Always ensure that the operating controls of belt feeders are in a neutral position before starting the machine;
- All operating controls of belt feeders should be located in a single area to ensure that the operator has full control of all functions of the machine;
- Develop a Standard Operating Procedure for the operation of all feeders; and
- Train all miners involved with the tramming and operation of feeders on the SOP and ensure that it is followed.
The agency has also encouraged industry suggestions for other remedies to prevent this type of accident going forward. When submitting suggestions, it asks for the year of the fatality as well as the number.
The worker’s death was the 16th recorded during 2008 in coal and the fifth classified by MSHA under Machinery.
The mine is operated by Alpha Natural Resources.
