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COAL MINE FATALITY - On Friday, February 2, 2001, at approximately 2:40 p.m., a 48 year old motorman, with 22 years mining experience, was fatally injured in a powered haulage accident. The victim, was operating a 12 ton battery powered Brookville motor with two loaded supply cars containing cinder blocks and wire mesh. The accident occurred at the base of a grade, which measured approximately 2500 feet in length and ranged in grade from 0 to 11%. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The victim was found at the base of the grade where the motor and supply cars wrecked. The victim had been ejected from the motor and received fatal crushing injuries.

Best Practices

  • Pre-operational checks should be made on all equipment, to identify any hazards that may affect the safe operation of the equipment, before the equipment is placed into service.

  • All hazards that affect the safe operation of equipment should be reported and repaired prior to operating the equipment. Never operate unsafe or poorly maintained equipment.

  • All miners assigned to operate equipment must be trained in the operational capabilities of the equipment. Load capacities of materials hauled should be consistent with the capabilities of the equipment being operated. In making this determination, consideration should be given to the grades to be encountered within the work area.
    • More Information E-mail Suggestion for Accident Prevention Program Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future.
    Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

    This is the first fatal accident, reported in calendar year 2001, in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2000, there were two fatalities reported in the coal mining industry. This is the first fatal accident, classified as powered haulage, reported in the coal mining industry in 2001. At this time in 1999, there were no fatal accidents, classified as powered haulage, in the coal mining industry.


    The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.



    For more information:
    Fatal Alert Bulletin Icon MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report