Accident Report: Fatality Reference
PDF Version
COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, October 28, 2011, a 47-year old lead blaster and 23-year old blaster helper were killed when the 1-ton truck they were riding was struck and completely covered by fallen rock from a failed highwall. The victims were driving in the pit, past a trackhoe loading coal as they approached their work area. The rock reached approximately 80' across the 100' wide pit and struck the trackhoe and a haulage vehicle being loaded at the time of the accident.
Best Practices
- Train all miners to recognize hazardous highwall conditions.
- Look, Listen and Evaluate your highwall and pit conditions daily, especially after each rain, freeze, or thaw.
- Be your own examiner and find hazards before they find you.
- Maintain adequate lighting to aid in examinations of highwalls and pit during no light or low light situations.
- Observe and communicate highwall hazards immediately.
- Insure appropriate action is taken to remove the hazards associated with any anomaly that may appear in the highwall or pit.
- Ensure that personnel's work or travel areas and mining systems or equipment are operating are a safe distance from the toe of the highwall.
- Follow safe job procedures.
Additional Information
This is the 18th and 19th fatalities reported in calendar year 2011 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2010 there were 46 fatalities reported in the coal mining industry. This is the first fatality classified as Fall of Highwall in 2011. At this time in 2010, there were no fatalities in this classification.