UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
District 10
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
SURFACE COAL MINE
FATAL FALL OF MATERIAL
EAST VOLUNTEER (I.D. NO. 15-02013)
ANDALEX RESOURCES, INC., CIMARRON DIVISION
MADISONVILLE, HOPKINS COUNTY, KENTUCKY
DECEMBER 19, 1996
BY
ALLEN L. HEAD
COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH INSPECTOR
ORIGINATING OFFICE - MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
100 YMCA DRIVE, MADISONVILLE, KENTUCKY 42431-9019
REXFORD MUSIC, DISTRICT MANAGER
GENERAL INFORMATION
Andalex Resources Inc., Cimarron Division, a subsidiary of
Andalex Resources, B.V., which is located at 9300 Shelbyville
Road, Louisville, Kentucky, operates the East Volunteer mine.
The Newcoal Pit, ID 010-0, where the accident occurred, is
located in Hopkins County, near Madisonville, Kentucky. The mine
operates six days per week, working three shifts a day, and
produces 4000 tons of coal daily. Employment consists of 121
Andalex employees and three independent contractor employees.
The area method of surface mining is employed to recover the
Kentucky Nos. 11 and 12 coal seams, which average 72" and 60"
thick, respectively. The Kentucky No. 13 coal seam, ranging in
thickness from 0" to 24" locally, is also recovered in areas
where it is economically feasible. After the land is cleared,
the topsoil and subsoil are removed and stored in stockpiles.
The overburden is then drilled, blasted, and removed by a
dragline, utilizing the spoil side stripping method.
The coal is then removed by crawler excavator (backhoe) and
hauled by trucks to the preparation plant, where it is prepared
and shipped by unit train. The land is then reclaimed, which
completes the mining cycle.
The principal officers of Andalex Resources, Inc., are as
follows:
Douglas Smith........................President
Howard Ratti.........................Vice President Eastern Operations
James Donald Ashby..............Division Mine Manager
Ray Cartwright.......................Safety Director
The last Mine Safety and Health Administration Regular Safety and
Health Inspection (AAA) was completed September 23, 1996. There
was an AAA inspection ongoing at the time of the accident.
DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
On December 19, 1996, at approximately 3:00 p.m., the second
shift crew reported for work under the supervision of Pit Foreman
W.C. Wilson. The truck drivers were sent to haul coal from
Island Mine #1 underground mine located on Andalex property,
while the dragline operator and oiler were sent to the Newcoal
Pit (010-0). At about 4:50 p.m. the truck drivers were told to
report to the Newcoal Pit to haul the No. 11 coal. Production
continued normally until 6:15 p.m.
Gaither Dickerson (victim), backhoe operator, was in the process
of loading an International 350 B Payhauler end-dump truck which
was being operated by Kenny Allen. As Allen's truck was being
loaded Gene Whitmer, truck driver, drove his truck down the pit
ramp to position it for the next load. When he attempted to
position his truck between the backhoe and the pit floor, one of
the front wheels dropped into the hole. Using the backhoe,
Dickerson pushed the truck out of the hole. Once this was done
Whitmer decided to back his truck up the ramp and wait for Allen
to exit the pit.
While Whitmer was backing up the ramp, he heard Denzil Webster,
dragline operator, yell "look out" over the radio. Whitmer saw
mud and water rushing from the highwall parallel to the ramp
toward Dickerson and Allen. Allen, whose truck was still being
loaded, saw the wall of mud and water coming toward him. His
truck was pushed approximately 30 feet along the pit floor before
being turned over on its side. Allen escaped through the window.
The backhoe was pushed along with the truck, and except for a
portion of the boom, it was buried in mud and water.
Recovery operations began immediately. Dickerson's body was
removed from the cab of the backhoe at 1:25 a.m. on December 20.
INVESTIGATION
MSHA Inspector George Newlin was notified of the accident by
Andalex Resources, Inc. Safety Director Ray Cartwright at
approximately 6:50 p.m. The investigation team arrived at the
mine at 7:50 p.m., and began a joint investigation with the
Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals. Employees of Andalex
Resources Inc., Cimarron Division participated in the
investigation.
Interviews of persons who had knowledge of the accident were
conducted by MSHA, and the Kentucky Department of Mines and
Minerals at the Andalex Resources Inc., Cimarron Division office
on December 20.
TRAINING
Records indicated that the required training had been conducted
in accordance with the requirements of 30 CFR, Part 48.
PHYSICAL FACTORS INVOLVED
The investigation revealed the following factors relevant to the
occurrence of the accident:
The location of the 010-0 Pit is in the old Pond River
Bottoms.
The 010-0 Pit highwall, which is approximately 65 feet in
height, intersected an old river channel.
This river channel consisted of approximately 65 feet of
unconsolidated material which included silt, clay, sand, and
gravel.
This unconsolidated material was inherently wet, which
greatly reduced the stability of the highwall.
An abnormal amount of rain had fallen in the week preceding
the accident. Local temperatures at the time of the
accident were below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Examinations conducted during the prior shift showed the
condition of the highwall as "Mud over rock".
There had been no highwall failures reported in this pit for
a period of over three years. After the last reported
highwall failure occurred the Ground Control Plan was
changed.
The highwall failure was rounded or arched in shape when
viewed from above. The top of the highwall collapsed
downward along an arched plane in the unconsolidated
material, and slid into the pit from the toe of the
highwall.
Part of the failure plane was exposed at the top of the
highwall in the mud slide location. This failure plane was
a nearly vertical sandy face.
When the unconsolidated material slid from the highwall into
the pit, it did not travel up the opposing spoil bank but
followed the pit floor along the highwall and ramp. The
material flowed in a somewhat fluid or thick viscous
fashion, rather than tumbling downward as normally occurs in
a highwall collapse.
There were no factors which indicated a possible highwall
failure prior to the accident.
CONCLUSION
The accident occurred when the unconsolidated material which
comprised the highwall inadvertently failed and collapsed into
the work area, fatally injuring the backhoe operator.
VIOLATIONS
103(k) Order No. 4064023 was issued to assure the safety of
any persons in the area until the investigation was
completed.
Respectfully Submitted:
Allen L. Head
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
District 10
Approved by:
Rexford Music
District Manager, Coal Mine Safety and Health
District 10
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