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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: Hoisting
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Metinvest B V
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Amy C Hamilton
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Exploding Vessels Under Pressure
Location: Five Mile Prep Plant & Refuse Impoundment/West Virginia
Mine Controller: Patriot Coal Corporation
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Nevada
Mine Controller: Lhoist Group
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Lime
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Lafarge S A
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
(Victim Died January 19, 2013)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: Walter Energy Incorporated
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Chargeback Date: 7/8/2013

Reason for Amendment: Mr. Key arrived at Baptist Medical Center-Walker on 12/14/2012, at 15:30 and was transferred to U.A.B. Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama by ambulance on 12/15/2012, at 02:30. Mr. Key later died of injuries sustained from a fall from the rock truck. 

Accident Classification: Other
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: CONSOL Energy Inc.
Mine Type: Surface of Underground
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: Machinery
Location: Willow Lake Portal, Illinois
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: New York
Mine Controller: Northeast Solite Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Common Shale
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Nebraska
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Other
Based on MSHA's investigation and the finding of the death certificate, MSHA concluded that the miner died from natural causes and that the fatality is not chargeable.
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: California
Mine Controller: Tony Cruse
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Tennessee
Mine Controller: Quintana Energy Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Arizona
Mine Controller: Capstone Mining Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Copper Ore NEC
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: CONSOL Energy Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Alabama
Mine Controller: Drummond Company Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Nevada
Mine Controller: Newmont Mining Corp
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Florida
Mine Controller: Titan Cement Company S A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: International Coal Group ICG
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: James O Bunn; Franklin D Robertson
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Montana
Mine Controller: James R Bradshaw
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Colorado
Mine Controller: Western Fuels Assoc Inc; Tri-State Generation & Transmission Assn Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: James River Coal Company
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: New York
Mine Controller: John J Kinsella
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: New York
Mine Controller: Heidelberg Cement AG
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Oklahoma
Mine Controller: Martin Marietta Materials Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Kentucky
Mine Controller: Boone Trust, Samuel A.B. (Alex) Boone Trustee
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC