Massey White Buck Pocahontas

The US coal mining death toll reached 40 on July 1 when an electrician, whose name was not released, was run over by a shuttle car while working the morning shift at White Buck Coal Pocahontas mine in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.

“The victim was last seen walking out by the face in a connecting crosscut,” the US Mine Safety and Health Administration said.

“As the loaded shuttle car was leaving the continuous miner, the victim was discovered under the shuttle car.”

The 60-year-old victim was the 31st worker to die at a Massey operation this year.

While a final report on the incident was still pending at press time, MSHA did release best practices for prevention of other similar accidents in a late July alert. Proximity detection systems were again highlighted, as was the use of audible alarms at check curtains and donning reflective clothing to aid visibility around mobile equipment.

The agency also stressed that all miners be trained in effective communication methods when working near equipment operators, to follow standard procedures when tramming shuttle cars, and to always be aware of their location in relation to moving units.

The 80-worker Pocahontas operation is part of Massey Energy’s Green Valley Coal group and is operated by White Buck Coal. It is one of the company’s smallest mines, producing about 84,239 tons of coal in 2009.

Peabody Willow Lake

Despite MSHA’s focus on prevention of powered haulage incidents in 2010, the 41st death was also powered haulage and also involved a miner struck by a shuttle car.

Section foreman operator Thomas Brown, 61, a miner for more than three decades, received fatal blunt force trauma injuries while working July 9 at Peabody Energy’s Willow Lake operation in Saline County, Illinois.

“The victim was last seen in the No. 6 entry just out by the intersection at crosscut No. 107,” federal investigators said in their preliminary review.

“This intersection and adjoining crosscuts were being used to gain access to the ratio feeder located in the No. 5 entry.”

In late July, proximity detection systems were again the focus of an MSHA fatalgram. The agency also stressed the use of approved translucent check curtains designed to allow mobile equipment to tram through, sounding audible warnings at any time when the operator's visibility is obstructed, and miners’ overall awareness of potential blind spots.

Communication, it noted once again, was also imperative for safe working underground, and workers near mobile equipment should always indicate their intended movements.

In MSHA’s final report released in October, investigators blamed the operator, Bug Ridge, for inadequate policies and procedures for direct communications between section workers.

“No policies or procedures existed to assure that miners were familiar with safe positioning locations while equipment was operating on the section,” the report said.

“In addition, the ambient noise levels near the check/run-through curtains prevented other miners from hearing the ram cars approaching the check curtains. Finally, failure of the operator to use fully transparent check curtains in areas where equipment travelled through the curtains obstructed the ram car operator's vision.”

The mine operator failed to establish a policy to ensure a direct line of communication that shared details of the section crew's activity and the projected or ongoing mining activities within the working section.

This would ensure activities could be coordinated in such a manner as to provide safety to all employees, according to MSHA.

The mine operator has since developed written policy and procedures addressing communication on the working section, including training of the miners, and has also developed policy and procedures addressing the use of clear, check/run-through curtains and has trained the miners accordingly.

The 400-worker Willow Lake mine sold 3.7 million tons to its utility customers in 2008.

Consol Loveridge

A third fatality was recorded underground before July came to a close, again in West Virginia and this time the result of a rib roll incident.

Miner operator Jesse Adkins, 39, was performing bolter duties just before noon on July 29 at the Loveridge No. 22 mine in Marion County when fallen coal pinned him against the nearby Voest-Alpine continuous mining machine.

Investigators measured the rock fall at 6-16 inches thick, ranging between 24in and 55in in height and approximately 23 feet long. The rock was said to have fallen from near the top of the 8.5ft-high left rib.

Adkins had seven years of mining experience, three of them at Loveridge, and had more than three years of experience working with the miner unit.

Earlier this month, state officials cited mine owner Consol Energy for a violation of the West Virginia Code Chapter 22A, Article 2, Section 25(a) safety statute, which it classified as serious due to the fatality.

“It was determined during the investigation of a fatal accident that the ribs in the 18-D belt trench were not supported or controlled adequately to protect persons from falling rock,” the report revealed.

To rectify the shortfall, the mine’s roof and rib control plan was amended and approved. It now outlines that any hazardous or unusual conditions found during examinations be communicated to the miners working in the area and to the oncoming shift.

A federal investigation report was still pending at press time.

The Loveridge mine employs 640 workers, 583 underground, and extracts from the Pittsburgh 8 seam at an average thickness of about 7ft via one slope and eight shafts. The operation, which has four continuous miner sections and one longwall, produces about 6Mt annually.

Triad Freedlandville

The final death in the two-month period and 43rd for the year occurred August 31 at the surface of an Indiana underground mine.

Contract truck driver Brian Mason, 25, received serious injuries in a 6pm incident at Triad Mining’s Freedlandville operation in Knox County when the truck he was operating traveled over a berm and went off the highwall.

“The truck traveled approximately 11 feet up an embankment on the left side of the haulage road, and then abruptly traveled back across the haulage road,” MSHA said in its preliminary review.

“Afterwards, the truck impacted a 5-foot high berm, traveled over the berm, and dropped 72 foot to the mine pit below.”

Mason, who had just 16 weeks of mining experience at the time of the accident, died that evening of his injuries.

MSHA’s investigative report is still pending, but the agency did remind US miners in late September to be aware of mobile equipment hazards and for operators to post the speed limit, appropriate gear, grade, curve and other warning signage along haulage roads.

Pre-operational examinations of all mobile equipment are also essential to improving safety.

For truck operators, MSHA stressed the importance of wearing a seat belt when operating any mobile equipment, and staying within a truck’s capabilities, operating ranges, load limits or safety features.

Finally, all miners should be task trained on the equipment they will be operating before performing work.

Keep reading ILN for more on our overview of 2010 coal fatalities in the US.