A 29 year old electrician, Rickey A. Thorpe, was fatally injured while in the process of replacing a load locking valve on a cutting head support jack on the Joy Continuous Miner Model #14CM15 located on the #1 Unit MMU005-0. The victim had removed the load locking valve on the operator's side cutting head support jack when the blocking material under the continuous miner's head failed which allowed the cutter boom to collapse into the pan line causing crushing injuries to the miner. The victim was transported to the surface where he was pronounced dead by the Webster County Corner.
Fatality #9 - September 16, 2015
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Onton #9 , Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Incident Date/Time: September 16, 2015 02:00 am
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:
Charles Ramsey, Lead Accident Investigator
Phone: 270-821-4180 ext. 1289
PRELIMINARY REPORT
A 29 year old electrician, Rickey A. Thorpe, was fatally injured while in the process of replacing a load locking valve on a cutting head support jack on the Joy Continuous Miner Model #14CM15 located on the #1 Unit MMU005-0. The victim had removed the load locking valve on the operator's side cutting head support jack when the blocking material under the continuous miner's head failed which allowed the cutter boom to collapse into the pan line causing crushing injuries to the miner. The victim was transported to the surface where he was pronounced dead by the Webster County Corner.
FATALITY ALERT
COAL MINE FATALITY -On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, a 29-year-old electrician with 9 years of mining experience was killed while replacing a load locking valve on the cutter head jack of a continuous mining machine. Prior to working on the machine, pin boards were stacked in a single column to block the cutter head in place. The victim was positioned between the cutter boom and the pan with the load locking valve removed when the cutter head collapsed, fatally crushing the miner.