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Fatality Reports

MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.

  • Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
  • Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
  • Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions

Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Raleigh County, WV
Mine Controller: David D Bundy
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Arch Coal Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Jeffery A Hoops
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Wyoming
Mine Controller: MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company; IDACORP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Colorado
Mine Controller: Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative
Mine Type: Surface of Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: John W Rich
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Anthracite)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: ERP Compliant Fuels, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Blackhawk Mining LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: ERP Compliant Fuels, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Montana
Mine Controller: Westmoreland Coal Company
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Laird T Orr Jr.
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: James C Justice II
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Anthony P Cline
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
(Accident occurred on February 23, 2017 and victim died on April 6, 2017)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Coronado Coal LLC
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
(Accident occurred on February 3, 2017 and victim died on February 10, 2017)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Mark E Daugherty
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: ERP Compliant Fuels, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Other
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Marfork Coal Company LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Based on a review conducted by MSHA’s Chargeability Review Committee, MSHA determined that this death was unrelated to mine related work activities, mining activities, or mining equipment, and should not be charged to the mining industry. Therefore the total coal fatalities in 2016 are eight instead of nine. On September 23, 2016, a miner was fatally injured in a vehicle accident while a passenger in a coworker’s personally owned vehicle. The miner and his co-worker had concluded their shifts at the mine, changed clothes and were in the vehicle heading away from the mine. They were on the mine’s access road when the coworker lost control of the vehicle after the brakes malfunctioned; the vehicle impacted the berm and rolled over. No hazards or violations associated with the condition or maintenance of the access road were found.
Accident Classification: Ignition or Explosion of Gas or Dust
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Robert E Murray
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Arch Coal Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Catenary Coal Holdings, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: GenPower Holdings LP;James L Laurita Jr
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Coronado Coal LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Coalfield Transport Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: Randall E Crawford
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Illinois
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
On August 19, 2015, a miner was injured at Alliance Resource Partners LP - Mine No. 1 when the boom of a belt drive he was installing fell and hit him on the shoulder. On October 1, 2015 the miner died. On February 17, 2016, MSHA was notified that the miner died as a result of the August 19, 2015, injuries. On April 11, 2016, MSHA referred the accident to the chargeability Review Committee. On October 13, 2016, the Chargeability Review Committee determined that the death should be charged to the mining industry. The death certificate listed clinical debilitation due to left shoulder injury as a contributing factor.