COAL MINE FATALITY - On Wednesday, November 8, a mobile roof
support operator was fatally injured during a roof fall of a pillar line while
mining the outby portion of a pillar block. The main roof behind the pillar line
began to fall, over-riding the mobile roof support units in the entry and the
crosscut. The falling roof struck the continuous mining machine and
off-standard shuttle car, striking one the mobile roof support (MRS) operators,
fatally injuring him. A second MRS operator and the continuous mining operator
received minor injuries, but the shuttle car operator and the continuous mining
machine helper escaped without injury. The sandstone mine roof that collapsed
was 320 to 340 feet long, 80 to 120 feet wide, and from 8 inches to 15 feet thick.
The victim was caught approximately 3-1/2 to 4 feet under the roof.
This is the 39th coal mine fatality in 1995. As of November 8, of last year there
had been 38 fatalities. This death is the fifth classified as ROOF FALL in
1995.
Line drawing of the accident scene
For more information:
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL95C39]
