DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
District 5
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
(UNDERGROUND COAL MINE)
FATAL POWERED HAULAGE ACCIDENT
Dominion No. 16 (I.D. No. 44-06643)
Dominion Coal Corporation
Pilgrims Knob, Buchanan County, Virginia
January 15, 1998
By
Benjamin S. Harding
Mining Engineer
Originating Office - Mine Safety and Health Administration
P. O. Box 560, Wise County Plaza, Norton, Virginia 24273
Ray McKinney, District Manager
ABSTRACT
On Thursday, January 15, 1998, a loaded supply car being pulled along the No. 4 Belt/Track Entry by an eight-ton tram motor came uncoupled. The five-eighths inch wire safety rope connecting the car to the tram motor failed, releasing the car, which began to roll down grade toward the active "C" Section (MMU 003-0). The car rolled down an approximate two percent grade for approximately 1750 feet where it struck a mantrip carrying five persons causing fatal injuries to Leon Presley, Section Mechanic, Dominion Coal Corporation, and serious injuries to Charlie Dye, Foreman, RAT Contractors, Inc. The accident occurred when the wire safety rope between the supply car and the tram motor failed. The time and cause of the uncoupling of the car and tram motor could not be determined.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dominion Coal Corporation's Dominion No. 16 mine is located one mile northeast of Pilgrims Knob, Buchanan County, Virginia near the intersection of State Routes 638 and 654 on the middle Fork of Spruce Pine. Dominion Coal Corporation is a subsidiary of Jewell Resources Corporation. The mine was opened in June, 1991 with five drift openings into the Red Ash Coal Seam which averages 48 inches in thickness and dips to the northwest at an approximate 2.5 percent grade. The immediate mine roof consists of four feet of shale with a main roof of ten or more feet of sandy shale. The mine is ventilated with two exhausting fans which induce approximately 254,000 cubic feet of air per minute through the active workings.
Employment is provided for 35 underground and two surface personnel. The mine operates three shifts per day, five days per week. Coal is produced on the day and evening shifts and maintenance is conducted on the owl shift. The mine produces 800 clean tons of coal daily.
A room-and-pillar system of mining is employed utilizing continuous mining machines, shuttle cars, unihaulers, ram cars, and dual-head roof bolting machines. Coal is transported to the surface by belt conveyor. A battery-powered track haulage system is used for transportation of personnel and materials. This system utilizes mantrips, locomotives, and flat cars. A block light track signal system is used to coordinate movement of track equipment. Maximum entry and crosscut widths are 20 feet except for the combination belt/track entry which is limited to a width of 22 feet. Posts are required along the conveyor belt on five-foot centers.
Employees of an independent contractor, Rat Contractors, Inc., (Independent Contractor I.D. No. JFW) are utilized at this mine to make belt moves and perform other work outby the face areas. Rat Contractors, Inc. provides a supervisor for their employees and has a training plan approved by MSHA on March 27, 1996. Dominion Coal Corporation's Training Plan for Dominion No. 16 was approved by MSHA on April 15, 1993.
The principal officers of Dominion Coal Corporation are:
Charles E. Ellis........................................President
Rick Waddell..........................................Manager of Mines
Larry Keene............................................Superintendent
The principal officers of Rat Contractors, Inc. are:
Robert Ratliff...........................................President
Paul W. Smith..........................................Safety Director
An MSHA Safety and Health Inspection (AAA) was completed at this mine on November 13, 1997.
The first quarter fiscal year 1998 incident rate for the mining industry averaged 8.33 and for this mine 0.00.
DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
On Wednesday, January 14, 1998, at approximately 11:15 p.m., the owl shift crews scheduled for "C" Section (003-0 MMU) entered the mine. Dominion Coal Corporation's crew was under the supervision of Raleigh Whited, Maintenance Foreman, and Rat Contractors, Inc.'s crew was under the supervision of Charlie Dye, Belt Foreman. After arriving on the section, the Dominion crew of Whited along with Leon Presley and Howard Gibson, Section Mechanics, performed regular clean-up and maintenance duties throughout the shift. The Rat Contractors, Inc. crew of Dye along with Jackie Lester, Ricky Smith, and Gerald Brown, Laborers, performed regular belt recovery duties. As worked progressed, the recovered belt material was loaded onto a supply car which was already coupled to a locomotive.
After preshifting the "C" Section face areas, Whited left the section at 5:40 a.m. on Thursday, January 15 and continued his preshift examination outby in the track/belt entries to the surface. Normal activities continued on "C" Section until approximately 7:00 a.m.
Gerald Brown, boarded the locomotive and moved it and the supply car outby to the track switchback at No. 14 Belt Drive near the mouth of the section and waited for the day shift crew to pass by on the way to the section. Smith and Lester waited for the day shift crew near No. 14 Belt Drive while Dye, Presley, and Gibson waited at the end of the track on "C" Section.
The mantrip carrying the "C" Section day shift crew passed the locomotive and supply car at No. 14 Belt Drive at approximately 7:20 a.m. Brown started toward the surface pulling the loaded supply car with the locomotive. The mantrip proceeded on to the end of the track on "C" Section where the day shift crew left the mantrip and walked to the face area.
Dye, Presley, and Gibson boarded the mantrip and traveled outby toward No. 14 Belt Drive with Gibson operating the mantrip. The block light signal system light at this location was red because the locomotive operator had not cleared the signal switch at No. 4 Belt Drive. At No. 14 Belt Drive Gibson stopped, picked up Lester and Smith, and continued toward the surface.
Near No. 4 Belt Drive the loaded supply car broke loose from the locomotive and began to roll downgrade toward "C" Section. Brown continued on in the tram motor to a point along the No. 2 Belt before he noticed the supply car was gone. The supply car rolled down grade approximately 1,400 feet to the No. 5 Belt Drive. As the car traveled through a 90 degree turn, the loaded belt material slid off and the car continued to travel downgrade. Approximately 350 feet inby the No. 5 Belt Drive, the supply car struck the oncoming mantrip. The impact caved in the front of the mantrip allowing the car to override the front passenger compartment of the mantrip. The wheel/axle unit (trucks) of the car sheared off and dropped into the passenger compartment striking Presley and Dye. Presley was fatally injured and Dye was seriously injured.
After the collision, Gibson, Smith, and Lester checked on Presley and Dye. Dye was calling for help and trying to get out of the mantrip. No response was received from Presley. Gibson sent Smith and Lester to the No. 5 Belt Drive telephone to call for assistance while he helped Dye out of the mantrip.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., Smith contacted Larry Keene, Dominion's Superintendent, located on the surface and requested two ambulances and assistance. Smith and Lester began moving belt material out of the trackway. Brown arrived on the locomotive and was told by Smith and Lester to park out at the No. 4 Belt Drive switch in order to clear the track.
On the surface, Keene instructed Frank Goff, Chief Electrician, to call the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office and request two ambulances. He also informed David Whited, Mine Foreman, and Preston Canady, MSHA Coal Mine Inspector, of the accident and called James Stacy, General Superintendent, and asked him to contact Dominion's Safety Department. Keene contacted both underground section crews and instructed them to take first aid personnel and equipment to the accident scene. Both sections responded and Whited, Canady, and Bobby Ratliff, Supplyman, also traveled to the scene. Dye was given first aid treatment, placed on a backboard, and transported by rail to the surface. He was then transported by Dismal River Rescue Squad to Buchanan General Hospital in Grundy, Virginia.
Presley was then recovered from the mantrip, transported by rail to the surface, and then by Dismal River Rescue Squad to Buchanan General Hospital where he was pronounced dead by Dr. Jackie Briggs, Buchanan County Coroner.
PHYSICAL FACTORS INVOLVED
- Rat Contractors, Inc. (I. D. No. JFW) is an independent
contractor who performs belt moves and other outby work at
Dominion No. 16. The contractor maintains an approved
Training Plan and supervises its own crews. Work requests
for the contractor are posted on the mine bulletin board by
the mine superintendent. The contractor foreman assigns
individual work assignments to crew members.
- All equipment on the mine property is owned and maintained
by Dominion Coal Corporation.
- The elevation of the track entry from the No. 4 Belt Drive
to the accident site along the No. 5 Belt drops 35 feet in
1750 linear feet, a grade of 2.0 percent.
- The No. 4 Belt Drive track switch, the last location where
Gerald Brown observed the trailing supply car, is at the
highest elevation in the surrounding area. From this point
outby, the supply car would have followed the tram motor
downgrade even if disconnected. Therefore the supply car
became disconnected at this location and rolled downgrade in
an inby direction.
- The use of two switchbacks in the track haulage system
created a situation where supply cars are both pulled and
pushed as they travel in and out of the mine. Each
switchback causes a change in orientation of track
equipment. The supply car was outby the locomotive while it
was being loaded on "C" Section. After the locomotive was
trammed to the switchback at the mouth of the section, the
supply car was located inby the locomotive.
- The mantrip was a battery-powered Rail Runner Type made by
West Virginia Armature Co. The mantrip was maintained in a
safe operating condition.
- The locomotive was a battery-powered eight-ton model made by
West Virginia Armature Co. The locomotive was maintained in
a safe operating condition, with one exception. The
decoupling lever was broken.
- The five-eighths inch wire safety rope connecting the supply
car to the locomotive failed. The wire rope ends showed
evidence of deterioration, rust, broken and distorted wires.
The ends of the wire rope were sent to MSHA's Approval and
Certification Center in Tridelphia, West Virginia, which
contracted with Professional Services, Inc. in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania for examination of the wire rope. The results
of the tests are summarized in the "Executive Summary of
Investigation of Failed Wire Rope Recovered from a Fatal
Accident at Domininion Coal Corporation's Dominion No. 16
Mine".
- A block light signal system was in use at the mine. The
mine's track is divided into blocks with red and green
lights and hand operated switches at each end. A green
light indicates a clear trackway. Company policy required
that no track equipment advance into a block section unless
a green light indicated that it was clear. The mantrip
operator proceeded off "C" Section without a green light
indicated. Brown did not activate the hand operated block
light signal switch at the No. 4 Belt Drive to indicate a
clear track between "C" Section and No. 4 Belt Drive and
give a green light on the section. He stated that he did
this because he knew the mantrip was following him out and
its operator would trip the light switch. The mantrip
operator stated that he proceeded on the mantrip against the
red light because he knew the locomotive and supply car were
ahead of him and traveling in the same direction.
Therefore, he did not expect to see a green light. Some
statements given indicated that track equipment could not be
operated on any block of track unless a green light was
indicated. Some statements indicated that track equipment
could advance on a red signal light if the operator had
directly contacted the operator of the preceding equipment.
- On the day of the accident the midnight shift had to wait
for the day shift to arrive before departing "C" Section
because the preshift examiner had used the section mantrip.
During the change out the locomotive started toward the
surface.
- When observed, the only defect that could be found in the
supply car or locomotive was a broken decoupling lever. The
decoupling lever was functional; however, a portion of the
lever was broken off. Evidence indicated that the break was
not fresh. The break was nearly flush with the coupling
housing, decreasing the likelihood of accidental
disconnections.
- Willison Model HTE couplings were used between the
locomotive and supply car. The couplings were tested and
examined to determine a situation which would cause the
couplings to accidentally disconnect. When tested
statically and dynamically the couplings did not fail in any
position or situation. The supply car was repaired and
loaded with rock dust to simulate the weight and position of
the load at the time of the accident. The supply car and
locomotive were then coupled and two round trips were made
from "C" Section to the No. 4 Belt Drive. The couplings
appeared to stay in alignment through the dips and curves of
the trips and never became disconnected.
- There was no trip light or other approved device such as
reflectors on the back (inby) end of the supply car. The
location of the accident in a dip and the height of the
entry limited the operator of the mantrip's visibility.
- The dip of the coal seam, the slight increase in seam height
at the bottom of the dip, and the design of the supply car
combined to create a situation which allowed the supply car
to override the mantrip. The ends of the supply car were
raised to clear the underlying wheel/axle units(trucks).
The seam was just high enough to allow the supply car to
override the mantrip without striking the mine roof.
- Statements indicated that the supply car was coupled to the
tram motor on the surface the day before the accident.
- Statements indicated that no one had uncoupled the supply
car and tram motor after they were taken underground.
- Statements indicated that the wire safety rope was connected
to the supply car and tram motor. No one noticed any
defects in the wire safety rope or couplings.
- Statements indicated that the belt material loaded on the
supply car overlapped the coupling between the car and tram
motor.
- Witnesses stated that on occasion the wire safety ropes were
lain across the coupling to keep them from dragging on the
mine floor. The wire safety ropes were attached to points
off the centerline of the supply cars and tram motors. This
creates a situation in which the wire ropes lose and attain
tension and slack while proceeding through turns.
- There were no training deficiencies related to the occurrence of the accident.
CONCLUSION
The accident occurred because the coupling and the five-eighths inch wire safety rope connecting the loaded supply car and the locomotive failed, allowing the supply car to roll down grade where it struck an oncoming mantrip. The wire rope was not maintained in a safe operating condition. The reason the supply car became uncoupled from the locomotive could not be determined.
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES
The following orders/citations/safeguards were issued due to conditions revealed during the investigation.
- A 103(k) Order No. 3356067 was issued to ensure the safety of
all persons in the mine until an investigation was completed
and all areas and equipment were deemed safe to work.
- A 104(a) Citation No. 3766661, citing 30 CFR 75.1725(a) was
issued to Dominion Coal Corporation for failure to maintain
the five-eights inch wire rope in a safe operating
condition.
- A 104(a) Citation No. 3766662, citing 30 CFR 75.1725(a) was
issued to Rat Contractors, Inc. for failure to maintain the
five-eights inch wire rope in a safe operating condition.
- Safeguard No. 3766663, under 30 CFR 75.1403-10(e) was issued
to Dominion Coal Corporation, which requires the use of
derails to protect all persons, including independent
contractors, from runaway haulage equipment.
- Safeguard No. 3766664, under 30 CFR 75.1403-10(j), was
issued to Dominion Coal Corporation which requires that no
operator of any track haulage equipment including
independent contractors, proceed until the equipment
operator is assured of a clear road through the block light
signal system.
- Safeguard No. 3766665, under 30 CFR 75.1403, was issued to Dominion Coal Corporation which requires that no supply cars be loaded beyond the end of the car on the coupling end, that the drawheads of haulage equipment be matched in height and operating range, and that two wire safety ropes or chains of adequate strength be used between any tram motor and supply car and be maintained in a safe operating condition. This safeguard applies to all persons including independent contractors.
Respectfully Submitted:
Benjamin S. Harding
Mining Engineer
Approved by:
Billy G. Foutch
for Ray McKinney
District Manager
Related Fatal Alert Bulletin:
FAB98C01