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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 Lead Investigator Jan Lyall, 304-225-6816.
On Friday, October 4, 2013, at approximately 1: 10 p .m ., a longwall maintenance coordinator was supervising the installation of face conveyor chain on the 8-B longwall set up face. A scoop was being used in conjunction with a sheave block and wire rope to pull the face conveyor chain down the longwall face (towards the tailgate). As the scoop was tramming (towards the headgate) and pulling face conveyor chain down the longwall conveyor pan line, the face conveyor chain became fouled. As the scoop continued to tram, the sheave assembly and wire rope broke loose from the anchoring point, causing them to be propelled forward, striking the victim in the back of the head. The victim was standing in the conveyor panline when the accident occurred.
COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, October 4, 2013, a 62-year-old longwall maintenance coordinator, with 42 years of mining experience, was killed while supervising the face conveyor chain installation on a longwall set up. A battery-powered scoop was being used in conjunction with a sheave block and wire rope to pull the top conveyor chain through the pan line toward the tail drive. The chain became fouled and the victim positioned himself to observe the cause of the problem. As the scoop continued to tram, the sheave assembly and wire rope, which were under tension, came loose and propelled forward. The sheave assembly struck the victim.
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
REPORT OF INVESTIGATION
Underground coal mine
Fatal Machinery Accident
October 04, 2013
