IT has been one dangerous and deadly year for the US coal mining industry, with the first miner killed just two days into the year and a total of 48 fatalities as of press time.
Two coal deaths were recorded in the first calendar quarter, with the first occurring on January 2 at the Signal Peak complex near Roundup, Montana. Rudolph Orren Lindstrom, a 57-year-old surface shop mechanic, was working on a Dodge mantrip when it fell off a jack and struck him in the head.
“Lindstrom had asked another miner to assist in purging the power steering hoses while the front end of the mantrip was suspended with jack stands,” a preliminary report released shortly after the incident explained.
“Lindstrom was positioned under the front of the truck … the assistant started the mantrip and his foot slipped off the clutch, causing the mantrip to lurch forward off the stands.”
While Lindstrom had over eight years of industry experience, he had worked at the mine just nine weeks. Federal officials classified the incident under Powered Haulage.
In late January, federal officials released a group of best practices based on the incident, including blocking vehicles against motion before work on them and keeping vehicles with standard transmissions in neutral with the park brake engaged during repairs.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration also reminded miners that the vibration of running motors might cause blocked or jacked equipment to move or fall off its blocks or jacks. It stressed that workers should position themselves out of the path of travel in case such a failure occurred.
Finally, investigators highlighted the importance of positioning jacks and blocks on level ground and raised to equal height with the associated vehicles, and that observations of these accessories should be observed during loading to ensure they remain solid.
Signal Peak, which employs 197 workers with 171 underground, is owned by Ohio firm Boich Group and Ohio-based utility FirstEnergy. The mine was purchased from Bull Mountain Coal in 2008 and commenced production last year.
The second fatality of 2010 also occurred in January, when a miner was killed in a rib roll at Bledsoe Coal’s Abner Branch operation in Kentucky.
A 29-year-old continuous miner operator, Travis Glenn Brock, was working at the Leslie County mine owned by James River Coal on January 22 when he was struck while cleaning up the crosscut between the no. 2 and no. 3 entries.
In a preliminary review released shortly after the incident, federal officials highlighted the use of adequate supports and the importance of thorough underground examinations.
Specifically, MSHA stressed visual reviews of every mine’s roof, face and ribs immediately before any work or travel is started in an area, and thereafter as conditions warrant, and to either properly support or scale any loose rib or roof material before work commences.
Examinations should be particularly thorough at pillar corners where angles formed between entries and crosscuts are less than 90 degrees, and openings which create an intersection should be permanently supported.
Federal investigators also noted that mines must be alert to changing geological conditions which may affect roof/rib conditions.
Abner Branch had three non-fatal days lost operator injuries in 2009. Its total NFDL incidence rate for the year was 2.55 versus the national average of 4.22.
Keep reading International Longwall News for a review of all US coal fatalities recorded throughout the year.
