At 9:10 a.m., on Friday, February 06, 2009, a 70-year old coal truck driver with eight weeks of mining experience was fatally injured at Republic Energy Mine. The accident occurred when the victim lost control of the Kenworth coal truck he was operating, struck the left embankment and turned over on the haul road, trapping the victim beneath the cab.
The accident occurred because: (1) the trailer brakes failed to operate effectively, (2) the contractor failed to provide an effective safety program for the pre-shift inspection to identify unsafe conditions, and (3) the victim had not received new miner training.
Fatality #1 - February 6, 2009
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Republic Energy, West Virginia
Mine Controller: Massey Energy Company
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Incident Date/Time: February 6, 2009 09:10 am
FATALITY ALERT
- COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, February 6, 2009, a 70 year old contract truck driver with eight weeks experience on this job was fatally injured while driving a truck on a coal haulage road. The truck struck the left embankment at an angle, traveled approximately 97 feet down grade, and turned over on the road. The victim was fatally injured when he was trapped under the cab of the truck.