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UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

DISTRICT 5

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
COAL LOADING DOCK

FATAL SURFACE HAULAGE


Greenbrier Dock (ID No. 44-03328)
Motivation Coal Company
Prater, Buchanan County, Virginia

June 2, 2000

By

Daniel S. Graybeal

Mine Safety and Health Specialist

Originating Office - Mine Safety and Health Administration
P.O. Box 560, Wise County Plaza, Norton, Virginia 24273
Ray McKinney, District Manager



OVERVIEW


On Friday, June 2, 2000, the loading dock crew, under the supervision of Gary Wayne Taylor, Foreman, began work at 6:00 a.m. Larry Looney was assigned to operate the loading dock control room for the purpose of depositing coal into empty railroad cars. At approximately 6:45 a.m., the railroad locomotive remote control mechanism malfunctioned. Taylor reassigned Looney to manually operate the onboard controls of the railroad locomotive until repairs could be made. Taylor took over the operation of the loading dock control room. Work progressed normally until approximately 11:00 a.m. Taylor stopped the coal flow in order to carry a coal sample to an onsite laboratory for quality analysis. Taylor passed between the truck scales and a sample building en route to the laboratory located in the shop building. His path of travel took him across the travelway used by all trucks entering and exiting the truck dump hoppers. Near midpoint of the travelway, Taylor, with his back to a moving truck, stooped down to pull slack in a water hose being used to allay dust. For reasons unknown, Taylor positioned himself in the path of a loaded tandem coal truck which was moving backwards toward the coal hoppers. Taylor was struck and knocked down by the truck bed. The rear tandem wheels on the driver side of the vehicle contacted and rolled onto the upper portion of Taylor's body. Taylor suffered fatal crushing injuries to the head and thorax.

GENERAL INFORMATION


Motivation Coal Company, Greenbrier Dock is located on State Route 83, nine miles west of Vansant, Buchanan County, Virginia. Pyxis Resource Company, Lebanon, Virginia, a subsidiary of Pittston Coal Group, is the parent company. Production began on May 1, 1991. Coal from the operator's strip mine is delivered to the facility by contract truck carrier. The coal is dumped directly into hoppers and loaded into railroad cars, or stockpiled for future loading.

The Greenbrier Dock employs four persons working two shifts per day, five days per week, with work performed on alternate Saturdays. Mobile equipment operators from Motivation Coal Company's Lovers Gap No. 3 Strip Mine are loaned to the facility when coal is being loaded from the coal stockpiles into railroad cars. The facility processes 2,200 tons of coal per day.

Newberry Trucking of Vansant, Virginia, (contractor ID No. LYP) is contracted to deliver coal from the operator's strip mine to the facility.

The principal management personnel in charge of the mine at the time of the accident were:
President ............... Robert A. McGregor
Vice-president ............... Clegg G. Hess
Secretary ............... Tracy R. Ford
Manager ............... Darrell Slagle
Manager of Safety ............... Lloyd Robinette, Jr.
Principal Officer - H/S ............... Gary Taylor
Labor Organization ............... N/A
Chairman - H/S Committee ............... N/A
The mailing address is P.O. Box 7, Dante, Virginia, 24225.

The last regular Safety and Health inspection was completed on May 25, 2000.

The latest National Non-Fatal Days Lost (NFDL) incidence rate for surface facilities is 2.75. The latest NFDL quarterly frequency rate for this mine is 0.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT


On Friday, June 2, 2000, the workmen under the supervision of Gary Wayne Taylor (victim) began loading coal into railroad cars. Two front-end loader operators on loan from Motivation Coal Company's Lover's Gap Strip Mine, were operating the two stockpile loaders used at the dock. Two tandem trucks were assigned to haul coal from the stockpile area, and eleven tandem trucks were delivering mine coal to the dock. Larry Looney began operating the loading dock control room, controlling the railroad car movement by means of a remote control railroad locomotive. At approximately 6:45 a.m., the railroad locomotive remote control unit malfunctioned, disrupting normal movement of the railroad cars. At this time, Taylor decided to operate the loading dock control room. Larry Looney was assigned to manually operate the onboard controls of the railroad locomotive to facilitate car movement. Taylor and Looney coordinated their work by communicating on C-B radio channel No. 16. The front-end loader operators and the coal truck drivers used C-B radio channel No. 10 for communications.

Coal samples were being taken and analyzed at seven railroad car intervals. Taylor would stop the coal flow, carry a sample to the laboratory located in the shop building, and perform a quick analysis for coal quality. Work progressed normally until approximately 11:00 a.m. when Taylor stopped the coal flow in order to process a sample. Taylor informed Looney of his intentions. Taylor contacted Darris Anderson, operator of the Cat 980 front-end loader, on C-B channel 10 and instructed him to meet him at the shop to repair a water line located on the east side of the coal stockpile. David Powers, driver for Newberry Trucking, contacted Taylor by C-B radio requesting permission to use a water hose to allay dust on the truck travelway and on the west side of the stockpile area. Taylor granted permission. Powers parked his loaded truck (No. 14) and walked to the scale house to energize the water pump.

Meanwhile, Vaughn Fuller, driver of Newberry Trucking's No. 24 truck, entered the mine property and proceeded to drive the truck to the weigh scales. Fuller saw Taylor in the loadout control room. Fuller proceeded onto the scales, weighed and exited the scales. The truck contained approximately 28 tons of coal. Following normal traffic patterns, Fuller drove the truck toward the railroad tracks. Fuller stopped the truck, engaged the reverse gear, and proceeded in reverse at idle speed. During this time, David Powers had picked up a water hose on the west side of the travelway and was in the process of dragging the hose to the edge of the pavement on the east side of the travelway. Powers was about midway of the travelway when he saw Taylor walking between the sample building and the guard rail on the south side of the scales. Taylor was headed in the direction of the laboratory, and was carrying a five-gallon plastic bucket. Powers continued pulling the hose until he reached the edge of the pavement. Powers stopped and motioned to Fuller to continue his backward movement over the water hose. Powers was looking toward the front of Fuller's truck, and Fuller was looking out the driver side window which was in the up position.

Jody Thomas, driver of the Newberry Truck No. 7 was parked between the railroad tracks and the sample building. Thomas saw Taylor approaching the truck from the passenger side as he walked across the truck travelway. At a point behind and in the path of the moving No. 24 truck, Taylor stooped down and pulled on the water hose in an attempt to provide additional hose to be used by Powers. Taylor had his back turned to the truck. Thomas immediately grabbed his C-B radio mike and began yelling for Fuller to stop. Thomas continued to yell on the C-B radio as he lowered his head in order to shield his eyes from the scene.

During this time, No. 11 truck of Newberry Trucking was parked at the coal hopper in the process of dumping. Dennis Blankenship, driver of the No. 11 truck, had exited his truck and was walking toward the shop building. Blankenship was approximately 100 feet from the accident scene when he heard someone yelling "Whoa" or "Stop", which was consistent with the message transmitted by Thomas on the C-B radio. Blankenship turned and saw Taylor in a stooped position and pulling on the water hose being used by Powers. Taylor had his back to the truck at a slight angle. Taylor, attempting to stand upright, was struck and knocked down by the bed of the truck. At this moment the wheels of the truck contacted and rolled onto the upper portion of Taylor's body. At this time Powers, feeling slack in the water hose, looked back and saw Taylor under the wheels. Fuller heard Thomas yelling on the C-B radio, to pull forward that Taylor had been run over. Fuller immediately pulled forward approximately fifteen feet and parked the truck.

Darris Anderson was standing in the doorway of the shop when the accident occurred. Hearing the sounds of distress, he stepped forward away from the shop building and saw the accident scene. Anderson immediately returned to the shop and called the 911 emergency system and notified the Motivation Coal Company safety department and company officials. The Grundy Ambulance Service, Inc. received the call from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department at 11:09 a.m. and arrived at the scene at 11:26 a.m. Trooper Gene Crouse of the Virginia State Police arrived at the scene at approximately 11:23 a.m. Sergeant M.F. McMurray and Trooper Marcus McClanahan arrived shortly thereafter. The officers contacted the Buchanan County Medical Examiner and obtained permission to move the victim. James Burke, owner of Grundy Ambulance Service, Inc., assisted by James Deel and Cris Burke, ambulance service personnel, recovered the body and departed the scene at 12:33 p.m. The ambulance arrived at the emergency room of Buchanan General Hospital, Grundy, Virginia at 1:04 p.m. Dr. Jack Briggs viewed the victim and declared death to be instantaneous as a result of crushing injuries to the head and thorax.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT


At approximately 11:20 a.m., on June 2, 2000, Eliza Taylor, Safety Department Secretary, Pittston Coal Group, reported the accident to Ronald Pennington, Supervisory Coal Mine Health and Safety Inspector, at the Norton Virginia field office. Simultaneously, the Buchanan County Sheriff's office personnel reported the accident to Jesse Persiani, Supervisory Coal Mine Health and Safety Inspector, at the Grundy, Virginia field office. Jesse Persiani and Clarence Boone, Coal Mine Inspector, arrived at the mine approximately 12:05 p.m.; Donald Dotson, Mine Safety and Health Specialist arrived at the mine at approximately 12:30 p.m. Preliminary information concerning the accident was obtained and a 103-K order was issued for preservation and control of the accident scene. The accident scene was observed and the company officials were told that the investigation would continue on Saturday, June 3, 2000.

MSHA resumed the investigation at approximately 8:30 a.m. on June 3, 2000. The accident site was inspected, and a scale drawing, photographs, and a video tape were made. The vehicle involved was inspected for required safety features and safe operation. The investigation team reconstructed the events surrounding the accident with the assistance of eyewitnesses and the mine employees that were working on the day of the accident. Visibility studies of the scene and surrounding area were started by members of the team and concluded on June 4, 2000.

Interviews were held on June 3, 2000 at MSHA's office at Grundy, Virginia. Eight persons were interviewed, including three employees of Motivation Coal Company, the owner and four truck drivers of Newberry Trucking. Two of the drivers were eyewitnesses and one was the driver of the truck involved in the accident. Jerry Hayes, the Owner/Trainer of Mine Resources was interviewed on June 5, 2000.

The operator implemented revised traffic control rules. The new rules included precise routing of coal truck traffic and smaller vehicle traffic. The rules also incorporated specific use of portable C-B radios for audible contact by persons crossing truck travelways on foot. Additional traffic control and instruction signs were posted and the revised rules were adopted as part of the hazard training program. MSHA personnel monitored the implementation of the revised rules on the day and evening shifts on June 5, 2000 and on the day shift on June 6, 2000. The field portion of the investigation was concluded and the 103-K order was terminated on June 6, 2000.

DISCUSSION


1. Jody Thomas and Dennis Blankenship were eyewitnesses to the accident.

2. Tandem trucks were being used to transport coal at the facility. On the day of the accident, two trucks were being used onsite to haul stockpile coal and eleven trucks were hauling coal into the facility from outlying mines.

3. Seventy-five truck loads of coal were dumped into the two coal hoppers from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on June 2, 2000. Of this total, thirty-seven loads were hauled from the stockpile.

4. Twenty-two railroad cars of coal were loaded from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. A quality sample was taken and analyzed for every seven cars of coal being loaded.

5. The No. 24 truck, owned by Newberry Trucking, was involved in the accident. The 1982 Ford LTL 9000 truck (VI No. 1FDZA90WGCVA40177) was registered in Virginia under license No. HA-81-010.

6. The No. 24 truck was provided with all safety features required by federal regulations. The truck was in good repair and possessed a Virginia motor vehicle safety inspection sticker.

7. The No. 24 truck contained an operative audible reverse alarm. Although no one recalled hearing the reverse alarm at the time of the accident, in accordance with interview statements the alarm was operative prior to the time of the accident. The alarm was found to be operative when examined by members of the Virginia State Police and an employee of Motivation Coal Company. This examination was conducted approximately thirty minutes after the accident had occurred. There was no evidence of recent repair or maintenance on the reverse alarm unit. The owner's pre-operational safety inspection record for June 2, 2000 revealed no equipment defects or deficiencies.

8. The No. 24 truck audible reverse alarm was tested by MSHA on June 3, 2000 and found to have sufficient volume to be heard at least 40 feet from the rear of the truck. The test was conducted with all machinery, vehicles, and equipment being operated, as they were at the time of the accident.

9. Statements from the Virginia State Police revealed that the victim was not wearing hearing protection at the time of the accident.

10. The No. 24 truck had one rectangular shaped mirror and one peripheral mirror for rear vision of the driver's side of the vehicle. The truck also had one rectangular shaped mirror and two peripheral mirrors for rear vision of the passenger's side of the vehicle. The mirrors were maintained in good condition.

11. On the day of the accident, the sun was shining through intermittent cloud cover. The victim was wearing blue jean pants, a gray colored shirt and a white safety cap.

12. All mobile equipment at the dock was provided with C-B radios. The truck drivers and front-end loader operators communicated by using C-B radio channel No. 10. The facility loading control room operator and the railroad locomotive operator used C-B radio channel No. 16 for communication. The local highway traffic normally use C-B radio channel No. 19. Three portable handheld C-B radios were purchased for use at the facility approximately four weeks prior to the accident date. The victim was not carrying a C-B radio at the time of the accident.

13. Traffic control signs were posted for the control of all vehicle traffic. The driver of the No. 24 truck was using the established traffic patterns during the time of the accident.

14. Interview statements revealed that Fuller pulled the No. 24 truck to a stop. Fuller then glanced through the passenger side mirror, seeing no one, he placed the truck in reverse gear, and began backing toward the hoppers at idle speed under engine power.

15. Interview statements revealed that while backing the No. 24 truck toward the hoppers, Fuller was looking out the driver's side window as the victim approached the rear of the truck from the passenger side of the vehicle.

16. The one inch diameter water hose consists of rubber, reinforced with nylon, approximately 120 feet in length, with a spray nozzle attached to the discharge end. The victim was seen pulling on the hose immediately prior to the accident.

17. During interviews, witnesses stated that they had seen the victim routinely walking behind moving trucks. Other witnesses stated that they had heard concerned drivers discussing the victim's travel habits.

18. The victim was found face down on the pavement as a result of the accident. The victim suffered fatal crushing injuries to the head and thorax.

CONCLUSION


For reasons unknown, the victim positioned himself behind and in the path of a loaded tandem coal truck which was moving backwards toward the coal hoppers. While pulling on a water hose, the victim was struck by the truck bed, knocked down, and overrun by the rear tandem wheels, sustaining fatal injuries to the head and thorax.

ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES


A 103-K order No. 7308399 was issued to ensure the safety of all persons at the mine until an investigation was completed and all areas and equipment were deemed safe.

Related Fatal Alert Bulletin and Accident & Injury Report(s):
FAB00C15      A & I Reports - (File is PDF)




APPENDIX A
List of persons providing information and/or present during the investigation:

PITTSTON COAL GROUP - MANAGEMENT
Donnie Ratliff ............... Manager of Safety
Danny Cromer ............... Safety Inspector
Steve Horton ............... Preparation Manager
Vaughn Groves ............... Corporate Attorney
MOTIVATION COAL COMPANY - MANAGEMENT
Clegg Hess ............... Vice - President
Lloyd Robinette, Jr. ............... Manager of Safety
Mitchell Salyers ............... Safety Director
Darrell Slagle ............... Manager of Quality Control
MOTIVATION COAL COMPANY - LABOR
Billy Cantrell ............... Front-end Loader Operator
Darris Anderson ............... Front-end Loader Operator
Larry Looney ............... Quality Control/Locomotive Operator
NEWBERRY TRUCKING - MANAGEMENT
Winfred Newberry ............... President
NEWBERRY TRUCKING - LABOR
Jody Thomas ............... Truck Driver
Dennis Blankenship ............... Truck Driver
David Powers ............... Truck Driver
Vaughn Fuller ............... Truck Driver
MINE RESOURCES, INC.
Jerry Hayes ............... Owner/Instructor
GRUNDY AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC.
James Burke ............... Ambulance Service Owner
Cris Burke ............... Emergency Team Member
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE
M. F. McMurray ............... Sergeant
Gene Crouse ............... Trooper
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
TECHNICAL SUPPORT GROUP
Terry Marshall ............... Engineer
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Ray McKinney ............... District Manager
Wayland Jessee ............... Assistant District Manager
James Poynter ............... Conference Litigation Officer
Jesse Persiani ............... Supervisory Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
James R. Baker ............... Education Field Services Specialist
Russell Dresch ............... Electrical Engineer
Wade Gardner ............... Mine Safety and Health Specialist
Daniel Graybeal ............... Mine Safety and Health Specialist
LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED
Billy Cantrell ............... Front-end Loader Operator
Darris Anderson ............... Front-end Loader Operator
Larry Looney ............... Quality Control/Locomotive Operator
Winfred Newberry ............... President
Jody Thomas ............... Truck Driver
Dennis Blankenship ............... Truck Driver
David Powers ............... Truck Driver
Vaughn Fuller ............... Truck Driver
Jerry Hayes ............... Owner/Instructor