DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
REPORT OF INVESTIGATION
Surface Coal Mine
Fatal Accident
August 27, 2002
Walter L Houser Strip
Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated
Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
I.D. No. 36-01046
Accident Investigators
David Lewetag
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
(Electrical)
Joseph R. O'Donnell Jr.
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Jerry Vance
Mine Safety and Health Specialist (Training)
Originating Office - Mine Safety and Health Administration
District 2
319 Paintersville Road, Hunker, Pennsylvania 15639
Cheryl McGill, District Manager
OVERVIEW
Tuesday, August 27, 2002, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Timothy E. Barrett, a 40-year-old auger machine operator with seven years experience, died while crawling in a 30-inch diameter auger hole. The auger hole was drilled 140 feet into the coal seam. The augering was stopped after intersecting two previously drilled auger holes. The auger machine operator entered the hole to locate the position of the intersecting holes. When he did not return to the surface, his helper attempted to communicate with him and was unsuccessful. The helper entered the hole, found the victim but was unable to remove him. A second attempt to rescue the victim was made by the helper and another miner, but failed when they became dizzy and were forced to exit the hole. Emergency services were contacted and arrived at the scene. A Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspector responding to the emergency, donned a self-contained breathing device, entered the auger hole with a rope and recovered the victim. Emergency medical treatment was administered. The victim was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The root cause of the accident was that mine management permitted miners to enter auger holes without ensuring that they adhered to the guidelines of the approval to permit miners to enter an auger hole.
Walter L Houser Strip mine, is owned by Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated, I.D. 36-01046, Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The company operates three separate pits and employs a total of twenty-one people, working one shift per day, six days per week. Box cut type mining is conducted utilizing dozers and front end loaders for overburden and coal removal in the Upper and Lower Freeport coal seams. Auger type mining is also used for coal production when overburden removal is no longer practical. Coal is shipped to various customers by truck. Production is 9,200 tons of coal per month.
The principal official of the Walter Houser Coal Company Incorporated is Garry W. Houser, President.
The last regular MSHA safety and health inspection was completed on April 22, 2002.
Tuesday, August 27, 2002, Darrel Rummel, pit foreman, and a crew of five miners arrived at the Kittanning pit No. 001 at approximately 6:00 a.m. for the start of the regular shift. Rummel examined the pit and found no hazards. Work instructions were given to the miners for the day.
The auger crew usually consisted of three workers, an auger operator and two helpers. This day one of the regular helpers had reported off and Rummel, in addition to fulfilling his supervisory duties, replaced the absent helper. Water had accumulated in the pit area around the auger machine and had to be removed before augering started. Tim Barrett, auger operator, and Darlene Orr, helper, using a diesel powered pump in the pit area, dewatered the area. Augering started at 7:10 a.m. and continued for about one hour. A 30-inch diameter hole was drilled to a depth of 140 feet where it intersected two previously drilled auger holes, which prohibited further augering. Barrett, Rummel and Orr removed the auger steels and bit from the hole. Barrett told Rummel that he was going into the auger hole to check the depth and direction of the intersecting holes. Barrett asked Rummel for a flashlight. Rummel got a flashlight from his truck and gave it to him. Rummel left the pit area and drove to the coal stockpile to load a truck.
Barrett crawled into the auger hole. When he did not return to the surface, Orr called to Barrett, but did not get any response. Orr crawled into the hole and found Barrett unconscious about 120 feet into the hole, but was unable to drag him out. Orr crawled out of the hole to get help. He met Rummel who had returned to the pit area. Orr told Rummel that Barrett was in the hole, unconscious, and he needed help to get him out. Three men were sent to the pit to help Orr; Dave Varney, Donald E. Polinsky and Terry Lee Blystone, equipment operators. Orr and Varney entered the hole at approximately 8:20 a.m. in an attempt to rescue Barrett, but were forced to retreat after becoming dizzy. Emergency medical assistance was called and the MSHA field office in Kittanning was notified at 8:35 a.m. Polinsky and Blystone moved the coal truck, coal conveyor and auger head to allow emergency personnel access to the area.
Emergency services from West Kittanning Fire Company, Kittanning Township Fire, Manor Township Fire, Kittanning No. 6 Ambulance, Kittanning Hose No.6 and STATT Medivac, responded to the call, the first arriving at 8:46 a.m. MSHA inspectors, Joseph R. O'Donnell Jr. and Vincent Jardina arrived approximately 10 minutes after the emergency services. The fire companies were assessing the scene when the MSHA inspectors arrived. The fire fighters took an oxygen measurement and determined that there was low oxygen at the collar of the hole. They positioned a ventilating fan at the collar of the hole. The emergency personnel were not trained in confined space rescue, so they did not enter the hole. O'Donnell donned a self contained breathing device, tied two ropes around himself and entered the hole. Barrett was found unconscious. O'Donnell tried to drag Barrett, but could not. He then tied a rope to Barrett and signaled to the rescue personnel to begin pulling. Barrett was removed from the hole at approximately 9:15 a.m. and emergency medical treatment was administered. Barrett was transported to Armstrong County Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m.
On August 27, 2002, at approximately 8:35 a.m., Joseph R. O'Donnell Jr., MSHA Kittanning Field Office Acting Supervisor, was contacted by Elizabeth Gradwell, office manager for Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated. She informed him that an employee had entered an auger hole at their Kittanning 001 pit and had not returned to the surface. O'Donnell notified Gerald Davis, MSHA Assistant District Manager-Inspection Programs, of the accident. Davis directed O'Donnell and Inspector Vincent Jardina to proceed to the mine. A 103 (k) order was issued to ensure the safety of the miners until an investigation could be conducted. An accident investigation team was assembled and the investigation began on August 27, 2002. MSHA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection jointly conducted the investigation with the assistance of mine management. The onsite investigation was completed on August 28, 2002.
The following is a discussion of the relevant factors identified during the accident investigation:
The Walter L Houser Coal Company Incorporated, pit 001, is a box cut type coal stripping operation. The Lower Freeport Coal seam is approximately 38 inches thick with about 100 feet of overburden at this pit. Coal augering is started when the coal seam becomes too deep for conventional stripping. The auger bit is 30 inches in diameter and uses 6-foot long auger sections. During a normal mining cycle, auger holes can be drilled 400 to 500 feet deep. The holes are drilled side by side, with about 15 inches of support coal between them. The most recent auger mining at the 001 pit was one month before the accident.
According to a witness, Barrett wanted to determine the direction of the intersected holes. This would give him a reference for alignment of the auger machine for the next hole in order to prevent drilling into the intersected hole.
Rummel did not ensure that Barrett adhered to the guidelines of the approval signed by the Acting District Manager on December 22, 1971, to permit miners to enter an auger hole.
Interviews revealed miners commonly entered auger holes without adhering to the guidelines in the approval.
An examination of training records revealed that Barrett had received all the required MSHA training.
The certificate of death and autopsy report issued by the Coroner of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania stated the cause of death was due to oxygen depravation.
A root cause analysis was performed. The following causal factor and root cause were identified:
Causal Factor - The auger operator entered the auger hole. Root Cause - Human Performance Difficulty - Mine management permitted miners to enter auger holes without ensuring that they adhered to the guidelines of the approval, signed by the Acting District Manager on December 22, 1971, to permit miners to enter an auger hole.
The root cause of the accident was that mine management permitted miners to enter auger holes without ensuring that they adhered to the guidelines of the approval to permit miners to enter an auger hole.
A 103(k) Order (7061048) was issued on August 27, 2002, and was terminated on August 28, 2002.
A 104(d)(1) citation was issued for a violation of 30CFR 77.1502. The operator failed to follow the conditions of the approval by the District Manager to enter auger holes.
Related Fatal Alert Bulletin:
FAB02C21
Sketch of Accident Site
APPENDIX A
Listed below are those persons who participated and/or were present during the investigation:
Garry W. Houser .............. President
Mark Houser .............. Owner
Darlene Orr .............. Auger Helper
Darrel L. Rummel .............. Foreman
Joel B. Keeler .............. Auger Helper
David A. Varney .............. Equipment Operator
Donald E. Polinsky .............. Equipment Operator
Terry L. Blystone .............. Equipment Operator
Andrew Bussard Jr. .............. Inspector
Joseph P. Murphy .............. Detective
Stan Fudor .............. Detective
David C. Lewetag .............. Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector (Electrical)
Vincent J. Jardina .............. Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Joseph R. O'Donnell Jr. .............. Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Robert T. Bower .............. Coroner
Steve Baker .............. Chief
Garry W. Houser .............. President
Mark Houser .............. Owner
Darlene Orr .............. Auger Helper
Darrel L. Rummel .............. Foreman
Joel B. Keeler .............. Auger Helper
David A. Varney .............. Equipment Operator
Donald E. Polinsky .............. Equipment Operator
Terry L. Blystone .............. Equipment Operator