COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday October 24, 1996,
a plant foreman with 23 years mining experience was killed when he
became entangled in a belt conveyor drive unit. The foreman was
working with several other miners repairing a broken chain between the
drive motor and drive roller. A nearby "Jog" switch was used to
de-energize the drive motor and the guarding had been removed from
around the drive. The chain was repositioned on the sprockets by the
crew. The foreman, positioned standing on the belt conveyor structure
beside the drive roller sprocket, was using a hammer to drive a master
link into the chain. The drive motor unexpectedly became energized
and the plant foreman was entangled in the drive unit. The electrical
power to the drive had not been locked out and tagged, and the drive
unit had not been blocked against motion.
This is the 27th coal mine fatality in 1996. As of October 24, of
last year, there had been 36 fatalities. This death is the eighth
classified as POWERED HAULAGE in 1996.
For more information: 
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL96C27]
