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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Monday, November 12, 2007, at approximately 4:39 p.m., a miner with over six years experience was fatally injured in a machinery accident. The accident occurred in the belt entry when a feeder breaker was being positioned over the belt tailpiece while the 72-inch wide belt conveyor was running. The anchored tailpiece broke free and was pulled down the entry, striking the victim in the back. The victim succumbed to injuries on December 4, 2007.

TAILPIECE OUTBY ENTRY AFTER ACCIDENT

Photo of Accident Scene		 TWO BOLTS PULLED OUT OF MINE FLOOR

Photo of Accident Scene


Best Practices
  • De-energize, lock out and tag the electrical power on the conveyor belt and take-up prior to setting or adjusting the feeder breaker over the tailpiece.
  • Release the belt take-up to remove stored energy in the belt when setting the feeder breaker.
  • Prior to setting the feeder breaker, examine the tailpiece anchors to determine that the anchors are not damaged or corroded.
  • Examine tailpiece mounts for damage such as evidence of failing welds or bent mounts.
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 30th fatality reported in calendar year 2007 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2006, there were 45 fatalities reported in the coal mining industry. This is the fourth machinery fatality in 2007. At this time in 2006, there were three fatalities in this classification.

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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