Accident Report: Fatality Reference
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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday, June 5, 2008, a lead motorman (locomotive operator) was fatally injured while transporting supplies on two mine rail cars. The tail motorman, traveling behind the trip approximately 300 to 400 feet, discovered the victim between the clearance side of the track and the mine rib along the haulage. The victim's locomotive continued traveling inby and derailed approximately 1,400 feet from the location of the victim. The track haulage was down grade in the area where the accident occurred.
Best Practices
- Apply sand to mine rails to assure locomotive operators can safely stop.
- Assure locomotives are coupled to each end of the trip to maintain control of the load.
- Assure the weight of the load being transported does not exceed the braking capacity of the haulage equipment.
- Always conduct an adequate pre-operational examination of haulage equipment prior to use.
Additional Information
This is the fourteenth fatality reported during calendar year 2008 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2007, there were seven fatalities reported in coal mining. This is the fifth fatality classified as Powered Haulage in 2008. There were no fatalities in this category at this time in 2007.