COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday April 11, 1996, four miners were
underground in the process of removing equipment from the mine. A foreman and a utility man,
riding in rubber-tired battery-powered personnel carrier, arrived near where a roof bolting
machine was located. The personnel carrier was parked about 32 feet uphill from the roof
bolting machine. The two miners left the personnel carrier and traveled downhill, past a
roof bolting machine operator standing at the rear bumper of the roof bolting machine, and
were alongside the roof bolting machine, when they heard a noise behind them. The personnel
carrier had rolled down the 16th percent grade, crushing the roof bolting machine operator
against the roof bolting machine, inflicting fatal injuries.
This is the 13th coal mine fatality in 1996. As of April 11 last year, there had been 9
fatalities. This death is the fifth classified as POWERED HAULAGE in 1996.
Line drawing of the accident scene
For more information: 
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL96C13]
