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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday, May 4, 2006, a 40 year old contractor with 2 1/2 years of experience was electrocuted while clearing brush from the right-of-way of a 12,470 VAC transmission line. The miner touched a loose guy wire causing it to contact an energized conductor on the pole. There was no insulator, ground, or proper anchor at ground level preventing the guy wire from becoming energized.

Photo of wheel assembly described in this fatalgram

Best Practices
  • Connect guy wires securely to the system ground, and/or properly install insulators to protect miners in the event of a breakage.
  • Anchor guy wires where they will not be contacted by vehicles and equipment or be disturbed by maintenance personnel.
  • Examine areas surrounding electrical installations for potential hazards before beginning any work, including trimming weeds and brush.
  • Mark guy wire anchor points for easy identification.
More Information E-mail Suggestion for Accident Prevention Program 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 38th fatality reported during calendar year 2006 in the coal mining industry. As of May 4th in 2005, there were four fatalities reported in coal mining. This is the first fatality classified as Electrical in 2006. There were no electrical fatalities at this time in 2005.

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:
Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report



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