At approximately 1:15 a.m. on September 19, 2008, a fatal machinery accident occurred in the Mac & Nellie cut through area of the ICG Hazard, LLC, East Mac & Nellie mine near Ary, Perry County, Kentucky. Harold Lee Graham, a 53 year old equipment operator with 30 years of mining experience, suffered fatal injuries while operating a Caterpillar D11N bulldozer. Graham was pushing shot material from blasting when the accident occurred. The bulldozer went over an exposed high wall and fell 203 feet.
There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. It is the consensus of the investigation team that a highwall failure occurred suddenly in competent rock while the bulldozer was being operated on the top of the spoil area above the southeast highwall.
Fatality #20 - September 19, 2008
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: East Mac & Nellie, Kentucky
Mine Controller: International Coal Group, Inc.
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Incident Date/Time: September 19, 2008 01:15 am
FATALITY ALERT
COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, September 19, 2008, at approximately 1:15 a.m., a 53-year old bulldozer operator with 30 years experience was injured fatally when the bulldozer he was operating over traveled the highwall and fell approximately 190 feet. The victim was assigned to push spoil material toward the highwall.
FINAL REPORT
CAI-2008-20
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR