UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
District 4
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
UNDERGROUND COAL MINE
FATAL POWERED-HAULAGE ACCIDENT
Meadow River No. 1 Mine (ID No. 46-03467)
Meadow River Coal Company
Lookout, Fayette County, West Virginia
May 12, 1995
By
Jerry E. Sumpter
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Roy W. Milam
Electrical Engineer
Originating Office - Mine Safety and Health Administration
100 Bluestone Road, Mount Hope, West Virginia 25880
Michael J. Lawless, District Manager
OVERVIEW
Abstract
On May 12, 1995, about 8:50 a.m., a fatal powered-haulage accident
occurred on the Southwest Mains section (008-0 MMU) of the Meadow
River No. 1 mine, Meadow River Coal Company. William R. Sweet,
victim, age 53, with 20 years of mining experience, was operating
the No. 3 shuttle car, tramming from the section coal feeder toward
the working face. Coal was being mined from the face of No. 5
entry and hauled to the coal feeder in No. 3 entry. A three-
shuttle-car haulage system was being used to transport coal from
the faces to the coal feeder. The No. 2 shuttle car was utilizing
the No. 4 entry before crossing over to the No. 3 entry. As the
No. 3 shuttle car was passing by the second crosscut inby the
section coal feeder, it was struck by the No. 2 shuttle car
entering the No. 3 entry from the crosscut (4 to 3).
Background
Meadow River No. 1 mine of Meadow River Coal Company is located
near Lookout, Fayette County, West Virginia. The mine is developed
into the Sewell coalbed from the surface by 3 drift openings, 3
shafts, and a slope. The Sewell coalbed averages 32 inches in
height. The mine began production on August 16, 1988. Employment
is provided for 124 persons on 3 production shifts. The mine
produces an average of 2700 tons of clean coal daily from 3
continuous-mining sections. Coal is transported from the working
sections to the surface via belt conveyor. The immediate roof is
comprised of shale and sandstone and is primarily supported with
48-inch resin bolts; supplemental supports are posts, cribs and
combination bolts. Ventilation is induced into the mine by a Joy
10-foot blowing fan which produces about 275,000 cubic feet of air
per minute. The mine liberates about 130,000 cubic feet of methane
in a 24-hour period. Meadow River Coal Company is a subsidiary of
Pittston Coal Company. The principal officers of Meadow River Coal
Company are James Lively, president; Teddy Sharp, mine foreman; and
Ken Perdue, safety director.
The last Mine Safety and Health Administration complete Safety and
Health Inspection was completed on March 31, 1995. A Safety and
Health Inspection was ongoing at the time of the accident.
STORY OF EVENT
On Friday, May 12, 1995, the day shift began about 7:30 a.m. The
Southwest Mains section crew, under the supervision of Jerry
Meadows, section foreman, arrived on the section about 8:05 a.m.
and changed out with the midnight shift crew. Meadows instructed
the continuous-mining-machine operator, Donald Whittington, to
complete the cleanup of the No. 1 entry and then move the
continuous-mining machine to the No. 5 entry. Approximately two or
three shuttle cars of coal were loaded from the No. 1 entry and the
continuous-mining machine was trammed to the No. 5 entry.
Due to the distance from the No. 5 entry face to the section coal
feeder, all three shuttle cars had to utilize the No. 3 entry for
the first three crosscuts inby the section coal feeder to transport
the coal. Meadows instructed William R. Sweet, Forrest Lee
Dickerson, and Curtis Martin, the shuttle-car operators, to
relocate the trailing cable anchorage point for their respective
shuttle car. Meadows proceeded to supervise construction of
stoppings in the No. 5 entry.
The No. 3 shuttle car, operated by Sweet, was used to transport the
first load of coal from the No. 5 working face. While the No. 3
shuttle car was being loaded, Dickerson examined the trailing cable
reel and told Sweet that there was not enough cable to get a second
load of coal.
Once the No. 3 shuttle car was loaded, Sweet trammed the shuttle
car from the No. 5 face to the section coal feeder located in the
No. 3 entry and dumped the load of coal into the feeder.
Dickerson then positioned the No. 2 shuttle car under the
continuous-mining-machine boom to be loaded with coal. When
loaded, Dickerson trammed the shuttle car from the No. 5 face
through the No. 4 entry for two crosscuts and then made a right
turn toward the No. 3 entry.
Otis Owen Pugh, electrician, had greased the section coal feeder
and was walking to the continuous-mining machine, when he saw Sweet
tramming the No. 3 shuttle car to the feeder. Pugh was located
immediately inby the second crosscut inby the feeder in the No. 3
entry. He stayed at that location and observed Sweet dump the load
of coal into the feeder and begin tramming the No. 3 shuttle car
toward the working faces. As the No. 3 shuttle car neared the
crosscut where he was located, Pugh also observed the No. 2 shuttle
car in the crosscut approaching the No. 3 entry from the No. 4
entry. As Dickerson negotiated the left turn into the No. 3 entry,
the No. 2 shuttle car struck the No. 3 shuttle car at the
operator's compartment. Pugh stated that he observed the accident
and that he immediately summoned help. Meadows immediately came to
the accident scene. After evaluating the scene of the accident,
Meadows decided to back the No. 2 standard shuttle car away from
the victim's shuttle car to remove the victim. Meadows called
outside and reported the accident to Teddy Sharp, mine foreman.
Sharp called Jan-Care Ambulance Service at 8:50 a.m. The ambulance
arrived at the mine site at 9:17 a.m. The victim was transported
to Lochgelly Medical Clinic and pronounced dead on arrival by
Dr. Curtis H. Thomas at 10:55 a.m.
INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT
The Mine Safety and Health Administration was notified at 9:03 a.m.
on May 12, 1995, that a serious accident had occurred. MSHA
personnel arrived at the mine about 11:00 a.m. A 103(k) Order was
issued to ensure the safety of the miners.
MSHA and the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and
Training jointly conducted an investigation with the assistance of
mine management personnel, the miners, and representatives of the
miners.
All parties were briefed by mine personnel as to the circumstances
surrounding the accident. A preliminary discussion was held with
10 miners having knowledge surrounding the powered-haulage
accident. Representatives of all parties traveled to the accident
scene, where a thorough examination was conducted. Photographs,
sketches, and relevant measurements were taken at the accident
site. Interviews of individuals known to have direct knowledge of
the facts surrounding the accident were conducted at the Nuttall
Fire Department training room on May 15, 1995, at 9:00 a.m.
The physical portion of the investigation was completed on May 15,
and the 103(k) Order was terminated.
DISCUSSION
Training
Records indicated that all required training had been conducted in
accordance with Part 48, Title 30, CFR.
Examination
Records indicated that the required examinations were being
performed.
Physical Factors
The No. 3 shuttle car was a Joy 21SC, 300-volt d.c. powered machine
which received power through a No. 2 A.W.G. type G trailing cable.
The No. 2 shuttle car was modified from an off-standard drive to a
standard drive car. The trailing cable reel was left on the
original side to facilitate the haulage system.
After the continuous-mining machine had been moved to the No. 5
working face and the shuttle-car trailing-cable anchorage points
relocated, the routes of travel for the shuttle cars from the
continuous-mining machine to the feeder were to be as follows:
- The No. 1 shuttle car was to travel from the No. 5 entry
across the last open breaks to the No. 3 entry and down
it to the section coal feeder, a distance of
approximately 420 feet.
- The No. 2 shuttle car was to travel from the No. 5 entry
across the last open break to the No. 4 entry, down No. 4
entry two crosscuts and across to No. 3 entry, and down
No. 3 entry to the section coal feeder, a distance of
approximately 400 feet.
- The No. 3 shuttle car was to travel from the No. 5 entry
across the last open break to the No. 2 entry, down No. 2
entry one crosscut and across to No. 3 entry, and down
the No. 3 entry to the section coal feeder, a distance of
approximately 550 feet.
Examination of the No. 2 and No. 3 shuttle cars revealed that the
lighting systems, the emergency de-energization devices, and the
automatic emergency parking brakes were operable and functioning
properly.
Pugh, an eyewitness, stated that both Dickerson and Sweet were
facing the direction of travel, and the lights of both shuttle cars
were shining in the direction of travel.
There were no ventilation controls in the crosscut that would have
obstructed the shuttle-car operators' vision. The coal height was
40 1/4 to 44 inches at the scene of the accident. The section was
developing the entries and crosscuts on 70-foot centers.
Failure to make the belt move required the three shuttle cars to
dump on the straight end of the feeder instead of the normal
three-sided dump system.
It was determined that the No. 2 shuttle car did not stop or slow
down at the main intersection prior to colliding with the victim's
No. 3 shuttle car.
The haulage system normally used was designed to dump the coal on
the feeder from three different locations. The haulage system was
designed for the No. 1 shuttle car to haul from the last open
crosscut down the No. 3 entry and dump the load on the end of the
tailpiece. The No. 2 shuttle car hauled from the last open
crosscut down the No. 4 entry and dumped from the side. The No. 3
shuttle car hauled from the last open crosscut down the No. 3 entry
and dumped on the side of the tailpiece. The system was altered
due to the distance the shuttle cars had to travel when the belt
move was not made when it was needed.
CONCLUSION
The accident and resultant fatal injury occurred when the No. 3
shuttle car was struck by the No. 2 shuttle car as it passed by the
No. 4 to No. 3 crosscut.
Contributing factors were:
- The operator of the No. 2 shuttle car had poor
visibility, due to the mining height and height of the
shuttle car.
- Three shuttle cars were using the same entry to approach
the section dumping point.
- A change from the normal haulage system had occurred at
the beginning of the shift, and no additional precautions
were taken to assure that the intersection was clear of
traffic before the shuttle cars entered the No. 3 entry
from the crosscut.
CONTRIBUTING VIOLATIONS
No contributing violations were observed.
Respectively submitted:
Jerry E. Sumpter
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Roy W. Milam
Electrical Engineer
Approved by:
Ronald O. Dunbar
Assistant District Manager
Michael J. Lawless
District Manager
Related Fatal Alert Bulletin:
 [FAB95C15]
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