Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government.

Fatality #18 - November 30, 2012

Lapse in Appropriations

For workplace safety and health, please call 800-321-6742; for mine safety and health, please call 800-746-1553; for Job Corps, please call 800-733-5627 and for Wage and Hour, please call 1-866-487-9243 (1 866-4-US-WAGE).  This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was 10/1/2025.  Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations.

Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Pocahontas Mine - West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Incident Date/Time: November 30, 2012 01:20 am

At approximately 1:20 a.m., on Friday, November 30, 2012, a 27-year old section electrician was fatally injured when he was caught between the maintenance scoop and the ripper head of the continuous mining machine. The accident occurred on the No.2 section, 006 mechanized mining unit. As he was performing maintenance on the continuous mining machine, the maintenance scoop traveled through a ventilation curtain in the No. 6 right crosscut, striking the victim.

PUBLIC NOTICE

This posting serves to provide a public notice to employees of the mine, employees of the mining company(s), employees of independent contractors with any connection to the mine, persons with any connection to the mine, and any person with information regarding the cause or contributing factors of this accident. Please provide any information to Keith Stone, Lead Investigator, 304-877-3900 ext. 137.

PRELIMINARY REPORT

At approximately 1:20 a.m., on Friday, November 30, 2012, a 27-year old section electrician was fatally injured when he was caught between the maintenance scoop and the ripper head of the continuous mining machine. The accident occurred on the No.2 section, 006 mechanized mining unit. As he was performing maintenance on the continuous mining machine, the maintenance scoop traveled through a ventilation curtain in the No. 6 right crosscut, striking the victim.

FATALITY ALERT

COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, November 30, 2012, a 27-year old electrician was killed when he was caught between a battery-powered maintenance scoop and the cutting head of a continuous mining machine. The accident occurred on a working section while the electrician was performing maintenance work on the cutting head of the continuous mining machine, which was parked in an entry.

FINAL REPORT
CAI-2012-18
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH 

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION 

Underground Coal Mine 

Fatal Powered-Haulage Accident
November 30, 2012 

Pocahontas Mine
White Buck Coal Company
Rupert, Greenbrier County, West Virginia
I.D. No. 46-09154 

Accident Investigators