Coal Age

APR 2016

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Avoiding "red zone" areas was the spotlight of the agency's best practices, with investigators stressing the importance of staying out of the zones when operating a machine or doing other work in the vicinity of a CM. It went on to urge maintaining a safe distance from any moving equipment, as well as positioning the CM boom away from the operator and other workers during the unit's movement. Other suggestions for safer working included ensuring the proper working order of the proximity detection system, and awareness that radio frequency interference and the electromag- netic interference generated by mining electrical systems can dis- rupt communications between miner wearable components (MWCs) and the proximity system. "MWCs should be worn securely at all times, according to man- ufacturer recommendations and in a manner so that warning lights and sounds can be seen and heard," MSHA officials said. Investigators also asked operations to make sure that continu- ous mining machine pump motors are disabled before handling trailing cables, and never to defeat machine safety controls. Once again, at press time, the final investigation report on the incident was pending. Just after the third fatality, MSHA Assistant Secretary of Mine Safety and Health Joseph Main called the string of events "trou- bling" for the coal community. "In light of declining coal market conditions, we all need to be mindful that effective safety and health protections that safeguard our nation's coal miners need to be in place every day at every mine in the country," he said, adding that the agency was planning to ramp up its targeted enforcement in light of the emerging trend. He also said federal officials would be boosting its outreach to emphasize "the need for continued vigilance in miner safety and health." Fatality 4 — Huff Creek No. 1 The first quarter of the year was just a few days from concluding when word came of the fourth coal death of 2016, which is also the most recent one for the year (as of press time). Also in Kentucky, the fall of rib incident took 48-year-old miner operator Mark Frazier. The March 25 incident occurred at Arch Coal's Lone Mountain Processing Huff Creek No. 1 mine in Holmes Mill, Harlan County. There is not yet any information on the amount of rib material that fell onto Frazier while he was at the mine's B-3 Mains coal transportation borehole construction site. The victim was a 30-year mining veteran; he had about 14.5 years of experience at the mine and about 7.5 as a miner operator. Of the 105 employees at Huff Creek, six were in the mine at the time of the accident. MSHA has not yet released its fatalgram report with best prac- tices for accident prevention. Its final report is also still pending. Incorrect Mine Door Installation Cause of PA Death On February 25, federal investigators released its final findings from a review of the June 27, 2015, accident — once again at Dana Mining of Pennsylvania's 4 West operation in Greene County — that killed a 55-year-old scoop operator. Outby diesel scoop operator John (Bill) Kelly was passing through an area of the mine just before midnight when he opened a set of air-lock doors, then shut them behind him. As one set of the doors closed, both they and the frame dislodged from their installation point and fell onto him. "Kelly…opened both sets of air-lock doors located at the 63.5 and 64.5 cross-cuts and then trammed the diesel scoop and supply wagons to a point where the last supply wagon was inby the inby set of air-lock doors," MSHA said in the 20-page report. "[He] then traveled on foot to close the outby set of air-lock doors prior to closing the inby set. While closing the outby set of air-lock doors, [they] and frame fell on Kelly, pinning him to the mine floor." s a f e t y r e p o r t c o n t i n u e d 34 www.coalage.com April 2016 www.grindex.com • info.us@grindex.com A good investment is not determined by the price, but by the cost of ownership. That's why we make pumps designed for the things that really matter: long operating time, less need for supervision and low costs for maintenance and spare parts. Because quality pays in the long run. A good investment shows in the long run. That's what our pumps are all about. C o m e s e e u s a t C o a l P r e p 2 0 1 6 , B o o t h 8 3 1 The third coal death of 2016 occurred at Alliance Coal's Dotiki complex in Webster County, Kentucky, after a miner was pinned between a CM and the rib.

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