Fatality #2 - January 12, 2008

On Saturday, January 12, 2008, at approximately 5:07 a.m., Thomas E. Farmer, a 50-year old shovel operator with 22 years mining experience, was fatally injured by a highwall failure that occurred in Pit 11, Area G at the Luminant Mining, Sulphur Springs Strip mine. The highwall was approximately 45 feet high with water draining from the face. The accident occurred when Farmer went on break at 5:00 a.m. He dismounted the shovel and positioned himself between the outside of the shovel track and the toe of the highwall. While in that position, he was struck by material that fell from the highwall. The material pinned Farmer in an upright position against the track side-frame assembly and buried him to his upper chest and neck. He was subsequently discovered by a co-worker, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. 



The accident occurred because management failed to correct and/or danger off a hazardous ground condition and allowed miners to work below the hazardous condition before it was corrected. Contributing factors included management's failure to assure that the ground control plan and the company's safety plan were being followed. Persons were allowed to work between equipment and a dangerous highwall where equipment hindered escape from falls or slides from the highwall.