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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, March 24, 1995, a maintenance trainee was fatally injured while working as a continuous mining machine helper. The continuous mining machine operator, utilizing a remote control, was in the process of tramming the continuous mining machine through a crosscut. The operator was walking in front of the machine as the machine moved toward him. The maintenance trainee was attending to the continuous mining machine power cable at the rear of the machine. When the continuous mining machine was "squirmed" the conveyor boom crushed the trainee against the inby rib of the crosscut.

The victim had three weeks of mining experience.

The continuous mining machine operator's line of sight to the rear of the mining machine and the victim, a distance of thirty feet, was obstructed by illumination from the mining machine's headlight. Two other employees were in close proximity to the moving continuous mining machine, between the machine's operator and the victim.

This is the sixth coal mine fatality in 1995. As of March 24 last year, there had been ten fatalities. This death is the first classified as MACHINERY in 1995.

Line drawing of the accident scene

For more information:
Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL95C06]