COAL MINE FATALITY - On Tuesday, August 15, 2000 a 40 year old continuous mining machine operator with 22 years experience received fatal crushing injuries while tramming a radio remote control mining machine. The victim was caught between the rear of the continuous mining machine and the coal rib.

• When a continuous mining machine is being trammed by remote control, the continuous mining machine operator and all other persons must be outside the machine's turning radius and away from pinch points at all times.
  
  
• All persons helping operators move mobile equipment should be positioned a safe distance from the equipment while it is in motion.
  
  
• Always be alert to your location when equipment is in motion.

	Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future. Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

This is the 21st fatality reported in calendar year 2000 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 1999, there were24 fatalities. This is the 3rd underground machinery fatal accident reported in the mining industry in 2000. At this time in 1999 there was one underground machinery fatal accident reported in the mining industry.

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This bulletin is part of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) program to alert the mining industry in a timely manner of a tragic loss of life in the mines. We encourage you to consider the above information as you make safety decisions for or recommendations to your company or constituency. The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.

For more information:
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report - Not Available Yet