Fatality #11 - May 31, 2008

Lapse in Appropriations

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Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back

Location: BALMAT MINE NO. 4 & MILL - New York

Mine Controller: Ontzinc

Mine Type: Underground

Mined Material: Lead-Zinc Ore

Incident Date/Time: May 31, 2008 10:00 am

Willard P. Clewis, Jr., miner-1, age 40, was fatally injured on May 31, 2008, when a large rock fell and struck him. Clewis and a coworker were drilling a round at the face in a vent drift. Clewis was attempting to retrieve a drill bit from a hole at the face when the rock fell from the back. The other miner was on the outby side of the drift and was not injured.

The accident occurred because adverse ground conditions encountered during the mining cycle were not addressed by management. Management provided a ground control plan listing necessary ground support materials to control adverse

FATALITY ALERT

METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On May 31, 2008, a 40 year-old driller with 2 years experience was fatally injured at an underground lead-zinc mine. The victim was using a jackleg drill to drill a hole near the face when the bit came off the drill steel. He was attempting to retrieve the bit when a piece of rock, approximately 8ï¿½ feet x 4 feet x 14 inches thick, fell from the roof striking him.