Accident Report: Fatality Reference
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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, July 27, 2012, at approximately 4:15 a.m., a 35-year-old move crew member with 5 years of mining experience received fatal crushing injuries when he was pinned between the conveyor boom of a remote controlled continuous mining machine and the outby rib of the No. 4 Right Crosscut. The continuous mining machine was moving to an adjacent entry in preparation for the oncoming day shift when the accident occurred.
Best Practices
- Ensure that all persons, including the continuous mining machine operator, are positioned outside the machine's turning radius before starting or moving the machine.
- Maintain clear visibility and communications with all personnel in the vicinity of the equipment, and minimize the number of miners working around or near continuous mining machines.
- Frequently review, retrain, and discuss the importance of staying out of any "RED ZONE" area while operating or working near a continuous mining machine.
- Position the conveyor boom away from the operator or other miners working in the area when tramming or moving the machine.
- Install Proximity Detection Systems on continuous mining machines and haulage equipment to prevent these types of injuries and fatalities.
Additional Information
This is the twelfth fatality reported in calendar year 2012 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2011 there were ten fatalities reported in the coal mining industry. This is the third fatality classified as Machinery in 2012. At this time in 2011, there were two fatalities in this classification.