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Fatality #9 - December 11, 2018

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Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Little Spring Creek Mine - Walker County, AL
Mine Controller: Freddy Hunt; Michael T Costello
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Incident Date/Time: December 11, 2018 12:00 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: 
Jarvis WesteryLead Investigator:  
Phone: 205-305-1640

PRELIMINARY REPORT

The victim was operating a front end loader to push rock so that it could be loaded out of the pit. A portion of the highwall collapsed and crushed the operator’s cab of the front end loader where the victim was located. A first responder who was a medic assessed the victim but no pulse was detected.

FATALITY ALERT

On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, a 38-year-old miner was fatally injured at a surface coal mine.  The miner was operating a front-end loader to move shot rock near the toe of a 63-foot-high highwall.  A large portion of the highwall collapsed onto the front-end loader, crushing the operator cab and fatally injuring the miner.

FINAL REPORT

CAI-2018-09

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION

Surface Coal Mine