Accident Report: Fatality Reference
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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, January 22, 2010, at approximately 9:15 a.m., a 29 year old continuous miner operator with 12 years of mining experience was fatally injured when a rib roll, approximately 70 inches high, 63 inches long, and 103 inches wide, occurred. The victim was operating a remote control continuous mining machine to clean a previously bolted crosscut when he was struck by the coal rib and pinned against the mine floor.
Best Practices
- Conduct a thorough visual examination of the roof, face, and ribs immediately before any work or travel is started in an area and thereafter as conditions warrant.
- Adequately support or scale any loose rib or roof material before beginning work.
- Perform careful examinations of pillar corners, particularly where the angles formed between entries and crosscuts are less than 90 degrees.
- Permanently support openings that create an intersection before any work or travel in the intersection.
- Be alert to changing geologic conditions which may affect roof/rib conditions.
Additional Information
This is the 2nd fatality reported during calendar year 2010 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2009, there were no fatalities reported in coal mining. This is the first fatality classified as Fall of Face, Rib, Pillar or Highwall in 2010. At this time in 2010, there were no fatalities in this classification.