Mining Accident News No 1312 - CEPU UPdates/Mining... · Mining Accident News No.1312 ... Mobile...

NOTE: Views expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual sender, and are not associated with ANY organisation, individual or publication Issue 12 of 2013 e [email protected]

Mining Accident News No.1312 1 November to 20 December 2013

In this last issue for 2013:

USA: Coal Miner Killed in Illinois ......................... 1 USA: Doe Run accident leaves two injured .......... 2 This week in mining accident history .................. 2 India: Two dead in Odisha mining accident ......... 2 India: Two killed, two feared dead in Dhanbad mine accident ..................................................... 3 Pakistan: 3 killed in coal mine near Quetta ......... 3 USA: Quarry Worker Killed in Georgia ................. 4 India: Disaster points to lax upkeep .................... 4 WA: Mobile phone found in truck cab after accident at Fortescue's Christmas Creek mine ..... 5 USA: Colorado mining accident kills 2, injures 20 6 WA: Suspended jail term for man who arranged false urine sample for north west mine workers . 6 QLD: Worker injured as gas leak forces Weipa mine evacuation ................................................. 7 USA: Deadly carbon monoxide detected following fatal mining accident .......................................... 7 S.Africa: Worker dies at Harmony Mine .............. 8 Quote of the week ............................................. 8 USA: MSHA issues violation notice to WV mine .. 8 3 dead, 4 buried in Shaxi landslide ...................... 8 NSW: Woman killed in coal mine accident .......... 9 14 killed in mine disaster in Burkina Faso ............ 9 Four killed in Istanbul mine accident ................... 9 India: Five Assam labourers killed in mine accident in Meghalaya ...................................... 10 Two dead in Tasmanian mining accident ........... 11 SA: Contractor’s light vehicle smashed on iron ore mine ................................................................ 12 USA: 4 miners injured at Lucky Friday Mine sue Hecla ................................................................ 12 W.Va. Board balks again at requiring equipment aimed preventing common mining accident...... 13 China mine explosion kills 21 ............................ 13 Seven die in gravel pit accident, ministry closes pit for a while ................................................... 13 Ukraine: 13 miners hospitalized after explosion at mine in Donetsk region..................................... 14 USA: Company blamed for March death of coal miner ............................................................... 14 TAS: Mine to remain closed until after funerals 15

Aggregate Miner is 41st U.S. Mining Victim in 2013 ................................................................. 15 NT: Worker ‘not injured’ after slipping on toxic spill .................................................................. 16 USA: Violations and orders filed by investigators following mine accident that left 2 dead ........... 16 UK: Brave dad survives Doncaster mining accident ........................................................... 16 Mining dictionary ............................................. 17

Merrychristmasandthesafestofnewyearstoyou,your

family,workmatesandfriends.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

USA: Coal Miner Killed in Illinois Published with permission of Sharpe Media, LLC

A coal miner is dead after he was struck by a large piece of coal at a mine in Southern Illinois.

Dallas Dwaine Travelstead, 36, of Marion was pronounced dead at 2:50 p.m. Monday at Franklin Hospital in Benton, according to Franklin County coroner Marty Leffler. The victim received fatal crushing injuries when a large piece of coal rolled over him at about mid-face on the longwall at M-Class Mining, LLC’s MC #1 Mine, MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere said.

Louviere said that, based on preliminary information, the material was reported to be 3 feet long, 18 inches thick and 20 inches wide. It took most of the crew to remove the coal from the victim, she said. According to the Southern Illinoisan, Travelstead was the father of two children.

UPDATE: Prelimary autopsy results in the investigation of the death of Dallas Dwaine Travelstead reveal he died from blunt

Mining Accident News No.1312

compression trauma to his chest, abdomen, spine, and pelvis.

With 12 injuries reported so far this year, the non-fatal days lost (NFDL) rate at the 235-employee mine is above the national average. It exceeded the national average in 2009, its first year of production, and again in 2010, but dipped below the national NFDL rate in the succeeding two years.

MSHA assessed fines of about a quarter million dollars in both 2011 and 2012. The mine has been fined $218,158 so far this year with 183 alleged violations as yet un-assessed.

The fatality brings to 19 the number of U.S. coal miners killed on the job so far this year, including four in Illinois. The figure at this time a year ago was 16. In addition 14 metal/non-metal miners have also died, bringing the total for the year for all of U.S. mining to 33, compared to 32 at this point a year ago.

Friday 8 November 2013

USA: Doe Run accident leaves two injured Extract from theSalemNewsonline.com

Two employees of the Brushy Creek Mine, owned by Doe Run Mining Company, were injured at 2 a.m. Nov. 7.

The employees were hand scaling the mine ceiling below ground when an apparent equipment malfunction caused the man-lift bucket they were in to drop 20 feet to the ground, according to a Nov. 8 release from Steve Batts, general manager of Southeast Mining and Milling Division.

The injuries sustained were not life threatening, but the employees were air-lifted to St. Louis area hospitals due to the remote location of the mine, according to the release.

One of the employees has already been released, and the other should be shortly, according to Batts.

This week in mining accident history 9 November 1963 Mitsui Miike Coal Mine Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Underground coal mine 458 killed, 839 injured

Memorial marks 1963 mine disaster

Kyodo

OMUTA, FUKUOKA PREF. – A memorial ceremony was held Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the country’s worst mine accident in the postwar era.

An explosion at the Mitsui Miike coal mine in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, which used to be one of the country’s largest, killed 458 workers. Another 839 suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

The municipal government of Omuta was represented at the ceremony, becoming the first government body to be involved.

The mine, which closed in 1997, was operated by Mitsui Mining Co. The firm renamed itself Nippon Coke & Engineering Co. in April 2009.

Part of the coal mine’s ruins are among the so-called Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution that the government decided to recommend for inclusion on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage cultural sites in 2015. The facilities, in eight prefectures, represent Japan’s industrialization from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

[Extract from The Japan Times, 10 Nov 2013]

Sunday 10 November 2013

India: Two dead in Odisha mining accident Extract from zeenews.india.com

Bhubaneswar: At least two people were killed and one critically injured when a machine used


to pile up materials broke down in an iron ore mine in Odisha, police said Sunday.

The accident took place at the Bolani mine of the Rourkela Steel Plant in Keonjhar district, about 300 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, when contractual labourers were operating the machine Saturday, police officer P.K. Samal said.

The dead were identified as Meenajuddin Ansari, 40, and Suresh Munda, 25.

Ignesh Khedia, the worker who managed to survive, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the steel city of Rourkela. His condition is stated to be serious, he said.

The Rourkela Steel Plant is a unit of the state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). A steel plant official said a probe has been ordered into the accident.

Monday 11 November 2013

India: Two killed, two feared dead in Dhanbad mine accident Extract from Press Trust of India

Dhanbad - Two miners were killed and two are feared dead after a roof caved in at a BCCL coal mine in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, leading to suspension of mining activity at the site.

“One body has been brought out while efforts are on to extricate one more which is also visible now. Two others, still trapped inside, are feared dead,” Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) Chairman and Managing Director Tapas Kumar Lahiry said.

Lahiry said the roof of the Basantimata mine in the Chanch/Victoria area caved in at about 11 a.m. during an inspection by colliery officials after the night shift.

Two workers who had gone to inform the assistant manager and supervisor of the mine were also at the spot, he said.

Coal mine workers coming out of the Basantimata Coal Mines of BCCL at Block Panchet in Dhanbad on Monday.

“The second shift was to commence from 4 p.m.,” he said. “All mining operations have been suspended at the site.” More than a hundred people have been pressed into service to undertake rescue operations.”The accident occurred during a break between shifts, Lahiry said, adding generally about 100 miners work in one shift.

The four employees trapped inside were Heera Lal, Sitaram Majhi, Litu Saha and Arup Chatterjee, he said. “The body of Heera Lal has been extricated while efforts are on to extricate another body,” said Asok Sarkar, Director, Technical. Two workers, B. Chouhan and Chanchal Sen, who were in the vicinity, suffered minor injuries and were discharged after first-aid, he added.

Dhanbad-based BCCL, a Coal India subsidiary, accounts for almost 50 per cent of the total prime coking coal requirement of the integrated steel sector.

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Pakistan: 3 killed in coal mine near Quetta Extract from The Express Tribune, Pakistan

QUETTA: Three coal miners were killed when a trolley loaded with coals fell on them while they were working in a coalmine on Tuesday.

The mine is located in Duki Tehsil of Loralai district, 260 kilometers north of Quetta.


“The miners lost control of the trolley they use to transport coal from inside to outside [the coalmine]. The trolley severely injured three miners who later succumbed to their injuries,” a local Levies Official said.

The miners were identified as Ashiq Khan, Jan Mohammed and Khan Mohammed.

An average of 50 coal miners die in fatal accidents every year due to the lack of safety measures implemented by the owners.


USA: Quarry Worker Killed in Georgia Published with permission of Sharpe Media, LLC

An equipment operator has been killed in a powered haulage accident at a Georgia granite quarry.

Last Thursday evening, the victim, Carl J. Clinton, 46, was operating a haul truck transporting materials from the wash bins to a stockpile at Vulcan Construction Materials’ Lithia Springs Quarry in Douglas County, according to MSHA’s preliminary report. On his return trip to the wash bins, the vehicle veered off the left side of the road, traveled through a berm, over an embankment and overturned on its left side in a settling pond.

Clinton died at the scene, and his death was attributed to drowning, Chief Deputy Coroner Nathan Mitchell said. An autopsy has been performed, but the report is not yet available, Mitchell said. MSHA listed the time of accident at 10:15 p.m. The mine remains shut down while the accident is investigated.

Vulcan released a statement expressing sympathy for Clinton's family, friends and co-workers, adding that "Jeff was a 27 year employee of Vulcan who worked in a number of operations for the company and in a variety of capacities."

The company noted that Lithia Springs has had an excellent safety record, having recently

reached two million man-hours without a lost time accident and two years without any accidents. The 25-person mine had one lost-time accident in 2006, the only one since 2002, according to MSHA’s database. It has received a single citation from the agency this year.

The fatality is the 15th in the Metal/Non-Metal (M/NM) sector this year, including seven in the aggregate sub-sector. It is the first mining death in Georgia in 2013. At this time a year ago, 16 M/NM miners had died on the job. Another 19 Coal miners have also died this year, three more than at this time last year.

India: Disaster points to lax upkeep Extract from The Telegraph, Calcutta, India

Constant blasting at an open-cast mine barely 500m away from the underground mine may have weakened the roof of the latter, leading to Monday’s cave-in, the official toll of the accident going up to four on Tuesday.

Teams, working through the night, retrieved bodies of labourer Sitaram Manjhi and assistant colliery manager Arup Chatterjee at 5am and 3.40pm on Tuesday and side discharge loading (SDL) operator Littu Sahu at 11pm on Monday from the underground Basanti Mata Colliery of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).

Technician Hiralal’s body was brought out earlier on Monday afternoon.

Even as Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and BCCL launched separate probes into the mishap, workers and scientists contacted by the The Telegraph pointed to serious lapses.

Experts at Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) pointed out major failures in protecting what is the single-most important feature of any underground mine — roof support.


They said roof support and its monitoring must have been inadequate. While improper drilling to cut coal might have weakened the roof of Basanti Mata Colliery from inside, blasting of explosives at the nearby open-cast mine at Dahibari could have led to its “weathering”.

BCCL owns both collieries.

As many as 170 workers of the morning shift were trapped inside Basanti Mata Colliery when a 100ftx40ftx10ft roof boulder fell at 11.15am on Monday. The 6am-2pm shift had deployed over 250 labourers.

The underground colliery had been dug 100ft deep.

Basanti Mata Colliery had been closed in 2009 due to heavy blasting at Dahibari. Directorate General of Mines Safety green-lighted its reopening some six months ago.

D.D. Tripathi, senior principal scientist of CIMFR mine fire department, stressed the roof of any underground mine had to be bolstered properly for the safety of those working inside.

“I don’t know why the roof fell in this particular case. But often, using substandard materials for roof support leads to its collapse. Improper or loose bolting or netting of pillars, lax maintenance, bad drilling chip away the roof’s strength,” he said.

Asked if blasting by explosives at Dahibari colliery hastened the Basanti Mata roof collapse, he said: “Any shock wave affects a mine’s support system.”

Usually, danger signals occur before a cave-in. “Before a roof falls, there are indicators such as small cracking sounds. Had monitoring been keen, preventive steps would have started right then,” he said.

Colliery workers, who requested anonymity, said they feared blasting at Dahibari caused the Basanti Mata mishap.

BCCL authorities chose to play safe.

“We launched an official inquiry into the incident, which will be in addition to the Directorate General of Mines Safety probe. We can’t make a conjecture about the reasons behind the accident at this point of time,” director technical of BCCL A.K. Sarkar said.

Will BCCL make the probe findings public?


WA: Mobile phone found in truck cab after accident at Fortescue's Christmas Creek mine Extract from ABC News Online, Aus

A truck driver who had his leg amputated after an accident at a Fortescue Metals mine in Western Australia last month had a mobile phone in the cab of the truck, the ABC has been told.

The 42-year-old man suffered serious leg and pelvic injuries in the accident, which occurred at Fortescue's Christmas Creek mine in the Pilbara on October 22.

The accident happened just before midnight when the truck driver ran into the back of a parked dump truck at the mine.

The driver swerved to avoid the parked truck but hit the vehicle.

The driver's cab on the left side of the truck was crushed, injuring the man's legs.

The ABC understands an initial investigation showed no signs of skid marks, brake failure or any mechanical problem with the truck.

A mobile phone was found the driver's cab.

The man works for mining contractor, Macmahon Holdings. Drivers are banned from having mobile phones in their trucks at the mine.

The ABC has been told that the area was well lit and there was a large turnaround space.


Second serious incident at Christmas Creek mine in two months

Investigations into the cause of the accident are continuing as the man remains in a stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital.

The man was trapped for more than five hours as mine staff and the Royal Flying Doctor Service worked through the night to free him from the wreckage of the truck.

The WA Department of Mines and Petroleum is investigating the accident but it is unlikely to report before early next year.

It was the second serious accident at the Christmas Creek mine in the past few months.

In August, New Zealand electrician Kurt Williams was crushed to death during an accident at one of the mine's iron ore crushing plants.

FMG have taken over the running of the mine's ore crushing operations from contractor, Crushing Services International (CSI).

CSI staff remain on site but the plants are now managed by Fortescue.

The Department of Mines is investigating the death of Mr Williams - the first fatality on a mine site in WA in nearly two years.

The Department says a report into the accident is not likely to be completed until the end of December.

USA: Colorado mining accident kills 2, injures 20 Extract from BuzzFeed.com

Two workers were killed and 20 others were injured Sunday in a mining accident at the Revenue Virginius mine in Ouray, Colo.

The Ouray County Sheriff's Office was called to the Revenue Virginius mine at about 7:20 a.m., county spokeswoman Marti Whitmore

said. The two miners were underground and were confirmed dead Sunday afternoon.

The sheriff's office and the Colorado Department of Public Safety told CBS News that all the other workers were above ground and had been accounted for.

Rory Williams, project manager for Star Mining Operations, the operator of the Revenue-Virginius, told the Ouray Watch newspaper that accident was not related to a cave-in or mine collapse. He said apparently a "powder-smoke incident" and the release of chemicals injured the affected miners.

Whitmore said 20 people were taken to area hospitals, and all but two had been treated and released as of Sunday evening.

Officials from thee U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration were at the accident site, which is about 270 miles southwest of Denver.

The last major mining disaster in Colorado occurred when an explosion killed 15 people at the Mid-Continent Dutch Creek No. 1 Mine near Redstone on April 15, 1981. Over the past 10 years, there have been 15 deaths related to mining in Colorado, the Denver Post reported.

Before Sunday’s Revenue Virginius incident, there were 34 fatalities at mines in 2013 across the United States.

Tuesday 19 November 2013

WA: Suspended jail term for man who arranged false urine sample for north west mine workers Extract from ABC News Online, Aus

A Perth man has avoided being sent to jail for arranging false urine samples for would-be employees at a BHP minesite in the Pilbara.

Michael Ron Van Dongen pleaded guilty to procuring a Pathwest employee to substitute


urine samples for two men who had tested positive for drugs in February and March last year.

The District Court was told the men worked for Van Dongen's son's company, which had won a $100,000 contract to supply workers to the mine site in Onslow.

Van Dongen's lawyer said the company needed the contract because it was in financial trouble.

The court heard Van Dongen was also the main carer for another son who had multiple sclerosis.

Van Dongen was given an eight month suspended jail term.

QLD: Worker injured as gas leak forces Weipa mine evacuation Extract from ABC News Online, Aus

A man has been treated in hospital after an incident at a bauxite mine at Weipa on Queensland's western Cape York this morning.

He suffered injuries to his hand after an acetylene gas cylinder began leaking.

Eighty workers were evacuated from the Rio Tinto mine after a gas leak on the site.

A fire service spokeswoman says an acetylene cylinder started hissing gas and smoke about 10:30am (AEST).

A 300-metre exclusion zone was set up amid concerns the heat could affect other cylinders.

USA: Deadly carbon monoxide detected following fatal mining accident Extract from The DenverChannel.com

OURAY COUNTY, Colo. - Deadly carbon monoxide was detected Monday in an Ouray County mine, following a mining accident that

killed two employees and sent 19 others to the hospital.

A miner and shift foreman were killed in the accident.

Early reports indicate that one miner went into an area where blasting was done previously. When he didn't come out, the foreman went in after him.

The two were later found by others, who evacuated the mine.

Three of the miners hospitalized after an accident at the Revenue Virginius Mine in Ouray County were released Monday.

The dead were identified Sunday night as Nick Cappanno, 34 of Montrose, and Rick Williams, 59, of Durango. The company declined to give their job descriptions out of respect to the family.

Josh Freed says his close friend Nick Cappanno dreamed of farming with his young family, and used the job at the mine as a means to an end.

"His big aspiration was to be working somewhere with his boys would be by his side, walking through the fields - that's what he wanted," Freed said. "He's got two young boys, and they meant everything to him. And his wife is impossibly strong, but this is an impossible situation, too."

Rick Williams' family says he spent his life in gold and silver mines to support his family, but enjoyed hunting and fishing in his free time.

Before the investigation into this incident can begin, the mine operator has to submit a plan for them to re-enter and determine if the harmful gases are still present.



S.Africa: Worker dies at Harmony Mine Extract from www.iol.co.za/business

Johannesburg - A mine worker was killed in an accident at Harmony Gold's Tshepong mine in the Free State on Friday, the company said.

“Harmony regrets to advise that an employee was fatally injured after a fall of ground accident at Tshepong mine near Welkom this morning (Friday).”

The company said investigations into the accident were underway and all operations in the section had been stopped

Quote of the week

“A turkey never voted for an early Christmas.”

Irish Proverb


USA: MSHA issues violation notice to WV mine Extract from The State Journal, USA

A West Virginia mine has been put on notice for safety and health violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Nov. 26 that Coal River Mining LLC's Fork Creek No. 1 Mine in Lincoln County has been put on notice of a pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards under Section 104(e) of

the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

An MSHA audit revealed a mine operator failed to report minor injuries equivalent to 239 days of lost time during the review period.

MSHA cited 158 significant and substantial violations at Fork Creek No. 1 from Sept. 1, 2012, through Aug. 31, 2013, including 14 for roof and rib hazards, 21 for ventilation hazards and 21 explosion hazards.

The mine's S&S issuance rate was 8.83 per 100 inspection hours during the review period, compared to a rate of 3.62 for all underground coal mines during the same period.

During the review period, the mine ranked fifth in the nation (tying with one other operation) in elevated citations and withdrawal orders with 24 issuances

3 dead, 4 buried in Shaxi landslide Extract from Global Times, China

Three people were killed and four others are buried after a landslide at an open pit coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province on Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

The accident happened at around 8:30 am at the mine which belongs to Shengkai Coal Mining Co., Ltd. in Jiaokou County of Luliang City, according to the county government's information office.

The company said several excavators and cars have been buried underneath earth. Four drivers were rescued but only one survived. Four others remained buried.

Rescue work continues.


Sunday 1 December 2013

NSW: Woman killed in coal mine accident Extract from The Australian, Aus

A WOMAN driver has died after colliding with a dump truck in an open cut coal mine in NSW's Hunter Valley.

The female contractor was killed shortly before midnight on Saturday when the light vehicle she was driving and a dump truck collided.

The woman died at the scene.

The truck driver was taken to Singleton Hospital suffering shock.

Glencore, which operates the Ravensworth mine, said it had offered counselling to their staff.

"Our primary concern is for the safety, care and welfare of our employees and we are providing all possible support for the families of the people involved in the incident," the company said in a statement on Sunday.

Police and three inspectors from NSW Trade and Investment's Mine Safety Investigation Unit are currently onsite investigating the accident.

"I would like to personally extend my condolences to the families, co-workers and employers of those involved in this tragic accident," NSW Energy Minister Chris Hartcher said in a statement.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

14 killed in mine disaster in Burkina Faso Extract from Foxnews.com

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – The local administrator of a gold-mining region in western Burkina Faso confirmed that 14

people were killed and 13 injured when a mine collapsed.

Tingande Zoundi, the prefect of Bale province, said the accident occurred at 1 a.m. Sunday in the village of Bagassi when the 80-meter (yard)-deep hole caved in, trapping the miners. Zoundi said all of the bodies have been recovered and buried.

Mining accidents are common during the rainy season throughout the nations in West Africa where gold deposits are found. Tens of thousands of artisanal miners work at unregulated mines, often with no protection. The Burkina Faso government issued a decree prohibiting artisanal mining during the wet months from June to September, but they do not have the means to enforce the ban.

Friday 6 December 2013

Four killed in Istanbul mine accident Extract from www.enca.com

ISTANBUL - Four mineworkers were killed in accidents at two underground coal mines in Turkey on Friday, an industry official said.

In the deadliest incident, three men were killed in a methane gas blast at a privately-owned mine in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, an official from the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises (TTK) said.

An initial police investigation found that the mine was operating illegally, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on its website.

Another worker was killed in a state-run mine in the same province when he and a colleague fell off the mine cars they were operating at a depth of 260 metres.

Explosions and cave-ins are not uncommon in Turkey's coal belt in Zonguldak, particularly in privately-run mines where respect for safety regulations is often lacking.


The worst accident occurred in 1992 when 263 workers were killed in a gas explosion in a Zonguldak mine.

And in January this year eight miners were killed in a similar blast in the province.

According to official statistics, at least 3,700 workers have died in mining accidents in Turkey since 1941.

Last month around 300 workers barricaded themselves in a Zonguldak mine in protest at lax safety measures and poor working conditions.

Sunday 8 December 2013

Iron Miner Dies in Michigan Publish with kind permission of Sharpe Media, LLC

A veteran Michigan iron miner died Dec. 6 in an apparent fall from a railroad tanker car.

At the time of the accident, Gary Hytinen, 61, of Ishpeming was working as a reagent handler in the unloading area of Tilden Mining Co., LLC’s Tilden surface iron ore mine, according to a statement released by Cliffs Natural Resources. Hytinen was pronounced dead at Bell Hospital in Ishpeming. The cause of death has not yet been released.

Ontario Tilcon Co. and Cliffs TIOP, Inc. are listed on MSHA’s database as the controlling entities. The mine is located in National Mine in Marquette County.

The victim had worked for Cliffs Natural Resources for 39 years, holding positions as general laborer, conveyor attendant, bulldozer operator, concentrating plant attendant and most recently, as a general reagent handler, the company said. The company, MSHA and the United Steelworkers union all are investigating.

Hytinen is the second miner to die within three days. On Dec. 4, a 63-year-old aggregate miner died in an explosives accident in Kansas.

The 833-employee Tilden mine previously experienced a fatal accident in this century when, in June 2006, an experienced 49-year-old utility man fell through a hatch cover while washing the roof over a kiln, according to MSHA. The mine has experienced 24 lost-time accidents so this year, giving it a rate about double the national average.

MSHA has assessed $246,481 in fines in 2013 with 20 enforcement actions yet to be assessed. The agency began a regular inspection Nov. 25, which is ongoing, and responded to a hazard complaint on that date that did not lead to any enforcement action.

The fatality is the 20th in the Metal/Non-Metal (M/NM) sector so far this year. Half of the deaths have occurred since Sept. 16. The death toll equals the number of U.S. Coal miners who also have died in 2013. In comparison, 16 M/NM miners and 20 Coal miners died in all of 2012. The death is the sixth in the metal sub-sector this year and the first in Michigan.

India: Five Assam labourers killed in mine accident in Meghalaya Extract from The Times of India

SHILLONG: The dangerous coalmines of the state claimed five migrant labourers from neighbouring Assam on Friday. The workers were crushed to death when the cables of a crane trolley lowering two labourers snapped midway in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district.

"The incident occurred at Briwar mining area when two of the five miners were descending into a mine at least 200 feet deep," a police officer said.

"As the labourers were being lowered, the cables of the crane trolley gave way, plunging the duo deep into the mine. The other three, stationed inside, were crushed to death by the trolley which weighed over a ton," he added.


The area where the incident occurred falls under Saipung PS, around 150 km from here.

Though the incident occurred on Friday morning, the police received information only in the evening, after other miners reported the disaster to villagers.

The mutilated bodies of the five coalminers were retrieved and sent for postmortem at the community health centre at Khliehriat, district headquarters of East Jaintia Hills.

The migrant labourers have been identified as Harkeshaar Boro (35) from Chirang district, Balen Borali (42), Takeshwar Kumar (22), Kanta Boro (25) and Bulu Boro (32) from Assam's Baksa district.

The police informed that a case has been registered and investigations are on to determine the cause of the mishap.

The incident occurred at a time when the coal trading season has just commenced with the onset of winter. The coal trade is likely to continue till April or May.

Monday 9 December 2013

Two dead in Tasmanian mining accident Extract from The Sydney Morning Herald, Aus

Australia's oldest operating mine has suspended operations after two workers fell more than 20 metres down a mine shaft on Monday.

The men, named by police as Craig Nigel Gleeson, 45, and Alistair Michael Lucas, 25, died of their injuries after the fall, deep underground at Mount Lyell mine on the Tasmanian west coast.

Police Inspector Matthew Richman said the men fell between 20 and 35 metres. One of the men was brought to the surface but died on his way to hospital, while the other died at the scene, police say. His body remained in the mine late Monday afternoon.

The maintenance workers were locals from the close-knit community of Queenstown, where the mine is the main employer, and their next of kin had been notified, police said.

Advertisement "This is a sad day for us all," West Coast mayor Robyn Gerrity said. "Our sympathies go out to the families of those who didn't come home from work today.

"We've got a long history of mining and three mines currently operating," Mrs Gerrity said. "This is not the first tragedy, and it unfortunately won't be the last."

The men were members of the mine shaft maintenance crew, according to Copper Mines of Tasmania general manager, Scot Clyde.

After the accident at 9am, rescue teams from Mount Lyell and two other nearby mines raced to the scene, but they were unable to revive either man, Inspector Richman said.

Inspector Richman said it appeared that a shaft fall was to blame.

The company said in a statement it was offering support and counselling to the families and all affected by the tragedy. "All operations of the mine are suspended until the day shift tomorrow," it said.

Mining began at Mount Lyell in 1893 for gold, and it expanded into silver and copper before the 1912 North Lyell disaster in which 43 men died as a result of an underground fire.

Mount Lyell is controlled by the Indian-based Vedanta Resources and produces 30,000 tonnes of copper concentrate a year.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union's Tasmanian secretary, John Short, said Mount Lyell had problems in the past with mudslides, but he added: "We haven't had a lot of complaint in regard to safety generally at this mine."

Workplace standards investigators and a coroner are investigating the accident.


Wednesday 11 December 2013

SA: Contractor’s light vehicle smashed on iron ore mine Extract from www.safetowork.com.au, Aus

A light vehicle has been involved in a crash with a wheel loader on Arrium’s Iron Baron site in Whyalla, South Australia.

The accident occurred just before 4pm on Friday and involved a Cat 992 loader which reversed into a Lucas Total Contracting Solutions light vehicle in a stock yard.

No one was injured in the incident.

“I can confirm that on Friday 6 December at approximately 3.45 pm at the Iron Baron mining area, a Cat 992 loader reversed into a mine ute in a stock yard,” both an Arrium and a Lucas TCS spokesperson told Australian Mining.

Arrium stated that an investigation is underway and Safe Work SA was notified of the accident.

Lucas TCS is currently a contract miner at the Iron Baron site.

Works reportedly include load and haul, drill and blast as well as all major and minor civil works.

This is the latest of a number of light vehicle incidents in the Australian mining sector.

A female contractor was killed in an accident at GlencoreXstrata’s Revensworth coal mine

on November 30 when the light vehicle she was driving collided with a dump truck.

In October a worker at BHP Billiton’s Mount Arthur coal mine was lucky to escape serious injury when his light vehicle collided with a dozer at the Hunter Valley site


USA: 4 miners injured at Lucky Friday Mine sue Hecla Extract from www.seattlepi.com

SPOKANE, Wash. — The operator of a 71-year-old northern Idaho silver mine that was beset by fatal and injury accidents two years ago has been hit by another lawsuit, this time filed by four miners who say managers dispatched them deep underground into unsafe working conditions while lying that the area was safe.

The Spokesman-Review reports Ronnel E. Barrett, Gregg Hammerberg, Eric J. Tester and Matthew Williams are seeking more than $1 million from Hecla Mining Co. for injuries, medical treatment and lost wages as a result of the accident at the Lucky Friday Mine in December 2011.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in 1st District Court in Idaho, also names the Lucky Friday Mine manager, superintendent and safety foreman. Hecla officials said they hadn't seen the lawsuit and declined comment.

Hecla and its managers ignored increasing incidents of rock bursts and failed to take measures to protect workers at the underground silver mine in Mullan, Idaho, according to the lawsuit.


W.Va. Board balks again at requiring equipment aimed preventing common mining accident Extract from The Charleston Gazette, USA

Members of a West Virginia board have decided to gather more industry and labor proposals on so-called proximity detectors before they require mine operators to install the equipment.

The Thursday meeting of the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety was the fourth meeting in row that members could not agree on whether to mandate the devices, which are intended to curb crushing deaths and injuries in underground mines.

Instead, board voted to send the matter to a subcommittee to sort out industry and labor proposals. The subcommittee will meet Jan. 9.

The sidestep by the board is the latest the latest manoeuvre since a Charleston Gazette report in August that detailed the state's inaction on the issue.

Proximity detection systems are aimed at preventing a common mining accident.

Saturday 14 December 2013

China mine explosion kills 21 Extract from www.rappler.com

Beijing, China – An explosion on Friday, December 13, killed 21 workers at a coal mine in China’s western Xinjiang province, reports said.

The blast occurred at the Baiyanggou coal mine at 1.26am, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the local regional emergency response office.

According to the report, 34 miners were working underground at the time of the explosion. Twelve workers managed to escape, but 22 were trapped by the blast. Only

one of the trapped miners survived the explosion.

Seven die in gravel pit accident, ministry closes pit for a while Extract from IPPmedia.com, India

The Ministry of Energy and Minerals in the Northern Zone has banned gravel and stone mining activities in a three mining pits at Pumwani village, Moshi rural district, in Kilimanjaro region following a fatal accident that caused deaths of seven people.

The fatal accident took place in one of the village mining pits on Thursday evening at around 6 pm where by the deceased were taking gravel into a waiting Fuso lorry and landslide buried them on the spot.

Speaking with the Guardian on Saturday, the Deputy Commissioner from the Ministry of Minerals and energy in the Northern Zone Eng. Benjamin Mchwapaka explained that three stones and gravel mining pits are being banned for an unknown duration to await the completion of investigations over the fatal accident.

The ministry expects to permit people to go on with their activities after it is shown that that there is no particular danger that may occur in the area like the landslide, he said.

Eng. Mchwapaka said the Tanzania Roads Agency (TanRoads) is the owner of the gravel and stones mining pits in the village, and the government has ordered them to improve infrastructures around the pits to avoid unnecessary accidents before allowing people to continue with mining activities.

Regional Police Commander (RPC) assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Robert Boaz explained that in the fateful accident six people died on the spot and another died a day later at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) referral hospital.


The driver and conductor of the Fuso lorry with registration number T 167 AQG suffered serious injuries and are being treated at KCMC.

Monday 16 December 2013

Ukraine: 13 miners hospitalized after explosion at mine in Donetsk region Extract from en.interfax.com.ua

An accident at the Sviato-Pokrovska Mine in Donetsk region, which is under control of Coal Energy, killed four miners and 13 miners were taken to hospital, the press service of the State Emergencies Service of Ukraine reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, 11 out of 13 miners have signs of poisoning by mine gas.

At the moment of the accident 18 miners were in the shaft, and 14 of them were evacuated.

Earlier the department for the development of basic industrial sectors of Donetsk Regional Administration reported that two miners were taken to the hospital and 28 miners were working at the time of the explosion at the mine.

The press service of the Prosecutor General's Office in Donetsk region reported that a criminal case was opened under part 2 of Article 272 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of safety rules during operations with heightened danger, causing the deaths of people).

"The police are investigating the case. The investigation is being overseen by the Prosecutor General in Donetsk region," the press service said.

USA: Company blamed for March death of coal miner Extract from The Salt Lake Tribune, USA

Investigation - MSHA says Rhino Resources let mining continue despite “apparent” danger.

A rock fall that killed Emery County coal miner Elam Jones in March occurred because the mine operator had an inadequate roof-control plan for the accident site and did not respond to conditions indicative of danger, according to a report released Monday.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued two citations to a subsidiary of Rhino Resources Partners — the Lexington, Ky.-based company that has operated the Castle Valley #4 mine outside of Huntington since January, 2011 — for safety violations that contributed directly to the fatal accident.

The more serious citation alleged the company let mining continue although the sloughage of coal from walls had made the tunnel where Jones was working wider than the 20 feet allowed.

In addition, mobile equipment to hold up the known-to-be-weak roof was too far away to prop up the 7-ton slab of rock that fell on Jones, killing him. His co-worker, Dallen McFarlane, was injured.

Jones, 29, left behind a widow and two young sons. He and McFarlane both participated in the rescue efforts at the 2007 Crandall Canyon mine disaster, where nine died and six were hurt in two implosions of the mine’s walls.

A technique known as retreat mining, or pulling pillars, was used in both mines where the deadly accidents took place. The practice involves cutting out the pillars that held up the roof as crews back up from the mine’s depths toward the surface.

On March 22, Jones and McFarlane had just begun their shift in an area of the mine where


problems were developing. Efforts to cut away pillars "became progressively worse over the course of a week and a half prior to the accident," MSHA’s investigation report said.

The company had stopped mining in three of six tunnels in the coal seam because of "adverse roof conditions." Extra 6-foot-long roof bolts were drilled into the rock above to hold it in place, a mine foreman told investigators, because coal sloughing off walls had widened the tunnel 3 feet, increasing downward pressure by the 1,350 feet of mountain overhead.

"It should have been apparent to the mine operator that the site-specific roof control plan for partially mining in [the accident area] was not adequate for the hazardous conditions that were being encountered," the report said. "The operator was aware of worsening conditions, but elected to continue mining."

Using a remote control, Jones was making the second cut with his mining machine when McFarlane said he hear the roof pop and roof bolts break. He then was hit from behind by an edge of the falling slab, which landed directly on Jones. Miner Kenny Gressman cut McFarlane free, but Jones died at the scene.

TAS: Mine to remain closed until after funerals Extract from ABC News Online, Aus

Underground copper mining will not resume at Mt Lyell in Tasmania until the middle of next week, after the funerals of two of its workers.

45 year old Craig Gleeson and 25 year old Alistair Lucas died after plunging 35 metres down the mine shaft at Mt Lyell on Monday, when they were doing maintenance work.

The funeral for Mr Lucas will be held in Queenstown on Monday while Mr Gleeson's funeral is on Wednesday.

In the meantime, investigations are continuing into the cause of their deaths.

It is understood the inquiry is focusing on why safety harnesses did not break the men's fall.

Underground mining at Mt Lyell will not resume until after Wednesday's funeral.

The owner, Copper Mines Tasmania is paying its 300 workers during the shutdown.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Aggregate Miner is 41st U.S. Mining Victim in 2013 Published with kind permission of Sharpe Media, LLC

A Georgia sand and gravel miner has become the nation’s 41st mining fatality this year.

Paul Barnes, 53, of Columbus died Friday when ground beneath him gave way as he stood on a bank, according to Talbot County Coroner Clinton Cosby. It took about five hours to pull him from the debris after the 10:40 a.m. accident, Cosby said. The victim was declared dead at the scene.

The accident occurred at Brown Brothers Sand Co.’s Wittichen Stephen Plants northeast of Columbus near Junction City. Barnes had been a Brown Brothers employee for about 20 years, Cosby said. His body has been sent to the state crime lab for autopsy.

MSHA has classified the fatality as due to falling/sliding material. The agency has not yet issued a preliminary report.

According to MSHA’s database, there has not been a lost-time accident at the plant since 2002. MSHA cited the operator for two violations totaling $2,296 in fines this year. No violations were found at the eight-person operation after a spot inspection in October and a regular inspection in May.

The fatality is the 11th in the aggregate sector in 2013 and the second in Georgia in a little over a month. On Nov. 7, a 46-year-old equipment operator died when his truck went through a berm, over an embankment and overturned in a settling pond at a stone plant in Douglas County near Atlanta.


A total of 41 individuals have died this year in mining accidents, 21 in the Metal/Non-Metal sector and 20 in Coal. The figure is five more than the 36 people who died in the industry last year.

NT: Worker ‘not injured’ after slipping on toxic spill Extract from ABC News Online, Aus

The operator of the Northern Territory's Ranger uranium mine says a worker who slipped over on a toxic spill last week was not injured.

The Manufacturing Workers Union on Friday told the ABC that a man was given first aid treatment after falling up to his armpits into a slurry of acid and uranium.

But Energy Resources of Australia chief executive Andrea Sutton denies a man fell into slurry up to his armpits.

"We had an individual working that slipped over in the slurry material dropping to their hands and knees," Ms Sutton said.

"The material was promptly washed off as per the site hygiene procedures and the material itself poses no serious threat to those working in the clean-up."

The union told the ABC a worker was injured on Friday and had refused to return to work.

ERA says the person who slipped over did so on Tuesday, and did return to work.

The company says the man who slipped over was wearing protective equipment including waist-high waders and acid-resistant gloves.

The ABC has contacted the union for further comment.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

USA: Violations and orders filed by investigators following mine accident that left 2 dead Extract from The Republic, Columbus, Indiana, USA

OURAY, Colorado — Star Mine Operations, LLC, has racked up close to 100 citations and orders since two miners succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning at the company's Revenue-Virginius Mine in Ouray (yoo-RAY') last month.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration issued the citations and orders after the fatal accident, which claimed the lives of Nick Cappanno of Montrose and Rick Williams of Durango. About 20 miners were injured.

The Montrose Daily Press reports violations and issues raised range from housekeeping issues, such as keeping workplaces free from hazards, to ventilation and escape routes.

Federal investigators say the two miners who died apparently entered an area of the mine where an explosive had been previously detonated. A spokesman for the company did not return a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.


UK: Brave dad survives Doncaster mining accident Extract from The Star, UK

A brave father has defied doctors to survive a horrific mining accident which blasted hydraulic fluid into his body.

The dramatic rescue of Richard Hodgkinson features on BBC1 show Helicopter Heroes, which follows the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Richard was 20 minutes from the end of his shift at Hatfield Colliery in Doncaster, when he


was struck by a high-pressure hydraulic hose that came loose from overhead supports.

It struck the 51-year-old miner just above his left hip pumping hydraulic fluid into his body and causing massive damage.

Richard Hodgkinson recovering at home with his wife Jayne after a horrific mining accident at Hatfield Colliery

He said: “There was a massive explosion as the hose burst.”

It just caught me on the side knocking me over.

“When I tried to get up to get out of the way I could not move my leg.

“I couldn’t breathe and was struggling to take oxygen in.

“The hydraulic fluid had got inside my body, blasted its way around my back, cracked every rib and punctured my lung.”

The accident happened at the coalface nearly a mile down and three miles out.

The emergency services were alerted and a major rescue operation got underway.

Richard, of Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, said: “As I was being taken out I noticed a lump appeared on the side of my body.

“By the time we got to the surface it was up to my armpit and the size of a football – it was apparently my lung. It was just so frightening.”

Medics from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance stabilised Richard and he was airlifted to Sheffield’s

Northern General Hospital in less than 10 minutes.

The speed of the journey saved his life.

Around 90 per cent of the muscle from Richard’s hip and the top of his leg were damaged and muscle and nerves in his back were contaminated.

He was placed in an induced coma for two and-a-half weeks and underwent nine operations.

Surgeons said they were astounded by his resilience and recovery and had never seen such injuries before.

The dad-of-two spent five weeks on the critical care unit and two weeks on a ward before being allowed back home where he is being cared for at home by his wife Jayne.

Richard said: “Before you would see an air ambulance flying over and never think in a million years that you will need them and then bang.

“If I had gone by road ambulance to hospital I would not be here today – it’s that simple. They do such an amazing job.”

Richard’s family have raised over £4,000 for the YAA since the incident.

His colleagues at Hatfield Colliery donate money to the charity every month from their salaries.

Mining dictionary A guide to coal mining terminology

C Chock Large hydraulic jacks used to

support roof in longwall and shortwall mining systems.

See you in 2014!

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