Blackberry Creek Mine Coal

EE started going over the hill to seed hollowfil when he stepped on a rock and fractured his little toe.

Adding new drill steel to one of the company's drills. The new steel was put in place by using the boom on the mechanic's truck with a strap around the steel. After several attempts of lining up the steel and jogging the head to thread the steel, EE got his hand caught in the strap. When the head was jogged it wrapped his arm around the steel.

Bleeding brakes on Terex truck. Hot brake fluid sprayed on left hand, fingers causing burn.

While operating a D11R Dozer an employee noticed some smoke on the right side of machine and discovered that the machine was on fire. He activated the fire suppression system and said that it seem that only about 1/2 of it went off. He activated the system on the rear of dozer and used a 10 lb. extingusher but called local fire dept. to use foam and about 7:00 pm got fire out.

Employee was installing a fan pump on a D11R dozer. While using a bar to slide new pump into position the bar slipped and the two outside fingers on right hand were caught between the pump and the bar. Employee finished the job, went home and then went to an emergency room. Both fingers were fractured. They were taped together and wrapped with a bandage.

While greasing and fueling an excavator the employee fell about 6 ft. to the ground. It had been raining and the top of fuel tank was slippery. He bruised his left shoulder, sprained his right wrist and lacerated his face above his left eye (9 stitches). He also recieved bruises to left side of face.

Employee was cutting plastic tie wrapped around heater hose on a D11 dozer. He was using a pocket knife and the knife slipped cutting his left index finger at the 2nd joint that required 8 stitches.

EE was tramming D8L dozer to parking area. The dozer began to run rough and EE stopped to check fluids. While closing guard on engine compartment EE lost his balance and stepped back onto track. There was a pad missing, causing EE to fall between the tracks and the dozer. This fall resulted in injuries to EE's lower back and left knee.

EE was repairing a flat tire on the rear of a low-boy trailer unit. The EE removed the tire and after making repairs was inflating with enough air to seat the lock ring, the lock ring blew off striking ee in the chin leaving a 4-6 inch cut. Received several stitches.

Employee was driving the bus (man-trip) on the main haul road between valleyfill #14 and #8 1/2 when a rock rolled off of the spoil bank and struck the bus on the right front corner (the passenger side). He was the only occupant and received a cut over left eye and a puncture wound to lower right leg.

Employee was backing dozer over fill material when he backed up and over a rock. When the dozer dropped off of the rock it hit hard causing pain to lower back and tailbone. Employee finished shift and continued to work until 11/06/2004. After a trip to an emergency room he was told his tailbone was fractured. At present time employee is still working.

EE WAS PUSHING TO THE LOADER AND PUSHED OUT A LARGE ROCK AND THEN HE WAS TRAMMING BACKWARD TO GET ANOTHER BLADE OFF MATERIAL AND DROPPED IN THE HOLE AND JARRED/JERKED HIS BACK.

A SLIDE HAD DEVELOPED IN HOLLOW FILL NO. 15. IT SLID OVER A GAS WELL LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOLLOW FILL TOE AREA. IT SEVERED THE LINES AT THE WELL HEAD. NO ONE WAS INJURED.

EE WAS COMING BACK TO THE JOB SITE EMPTY AND MET A COMPANY WATER TRUCK ASCENDING THE HAULROAD AT CURVE NO. 18. THEY COLLIDED HEAD ON. THE WATER TRUCK DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED.

EE WAS USING A RATCHET TO REMOVE BOLTS WHEN HE FELT PAIN IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER. HE HAD BEEN USING A PRY BAR EARLIER AND USING HIS SHOULDER TO PUSH.

BLACK LUNG AWARD 7-15-02.

EE WAS USING A 5 GAL. BUCKETT AS A STEP TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE FILTER TRAILER. AS HE WAS LEAVING THE TRAILER, HE STEPPED DOWN ONTO THE BUCKETT, THE BUCKETT KICKED OUT FROM UNDER HIM. HE LAND ED ON HIS BUTTOCKS.

HE WAS SQUATTED DOWN USING AN IMPACT WRENCH, TIGHTENING BOLTS ON THE REAR END OF A LOADER AND TWISTED HIS BACK AND HIPS.

EE WAS CLOSING A WINDOW IN A SWIVEL TRUCK. PULLING THE WINDOW UP BY HAND GOT HIS FINGER CAUGHT IN THE WINDOW AND SUFFERED A CUT TO HIS FINGER. REQUIRED 5 STITICHES TO LOSE WOUND. NO LOST TIME.

EE STARTED TO BREAK A HOSE LOOSE WITH A WRENCH. AS HE PUT PRESSURE ON THE WRENCH HIS BACK GAVE OUT, & HE FELL TO THE GROUND & GOT HIMSELF BACK UP & LEANED ON THE TRUCK UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.

EE WAS FOLLOWING A COAL TRUCK IN ON THE HAUL ROAD & ANOTHER WORKER WAS COMING OUT (FROM JOB). EE SAID HE HEARD NOTHING ON THE CB SO HE THOUGHT NO ONE WAS COMING. THE 2 PERSONAL TRUCKS HIT HEAD -ON, DRIVER'S SIDE.

EE RAISED UP AND HIT HIS RIGHT SHOULDER ON A SHELF ON THE BACK OF THE GREASE TRUCK.

EE WAS PUSHING SHOT MATERIAL TO THE 9926 LOADER. HE GOT TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE AND ROLLED THE DOZER INTO THE PIT AREA. HE WAS WORKING ABOUT 40' ABOVE THE PIT FLOOR.

THE DOZER WAS PARKED TO BE SERVICED BETWEEN SHIFTS. EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN WHEN THE SERVICE MAN ARRIVED HE NOTICED THE MACHINE ON FIRE. MANAGEMENT WAS NOTIFIED THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED. AN A TTEMPT WAS MADE BY EMPLOYEES. THE FIRE DEPT PUT THE FIRE OUT.

EE WAS IN THE DRILL PIT MEASURING HOLES ON THE DRILL BENCH. HE STEPPED ON A ROCK AND TURNED HISRIGHT ANKLE.

THE TRUCK EE WAS DRIVING CAME OUT OF GEAR(ON A DOWN GRADE). THE ENGINE BRAKE KILLED THE ENGINE ON THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK TURNED OVER IN THE NO. 5 CURVE ON THE HAUL ROAD. EE OPENED THE DOOR AND F ELL OUT OF THE TRUCK.

EMPLOYEE HAD A PRE-EXISTING PROBLEM WITH HIS BACK. HE WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE IN HIS PICK UP TRUCK WHEN HE PASSED OUT. (BLACKED OUT DUE TO BACK PAIN) HE RECENTLY MOVED SOME LIGHT PLANTS AND WATER PUMPS WHICH AGGRAVATED HIS EXISTING INJURY.

THE OPERATOR HAD A BUCKET FULL OF ROCK, HEADED TOWARD THE ROCK TRUCK. THE BUCKET WAS EXTENDED UP, THE OPERATOR FELT SOMETHING GIVE. HE SAW THE RIGHT TIRE COME OFF.HE PUT THE LOADER IN REVERSE AND DROPPED THE BUCKET TO KEEP THE LOADER FROM TURNING OVER.

WHILE FUELING UP EQUIPMENT, EE STEPPED INTO A HOLE AND SPRAINED HIS ANKLE.

CLIMBING UP THE LADDER OF THE 992-C LOADER AND TWISTED HIS BACK.

EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A CATERPILLAR 992-G FRONTEND LOADER WHEN SUDDENLY IT CAUGHT FIRE. WE SUSPECT A BURST HOSE OR LOOSE FITTING ALLOWED A FLAMMABLE LIQUID TO SPRAY ONTO THE TORQE CONVERTER ALLOWING A FIRE TO START. THERE WERE NO INJURIESBUT THE LOADER WAS A COMPLETE LOSS.

TIGHTENING TRACK PAD BOLTS WITH 3/4" DRIVE RATCHET AND IT SLIPPED OFF MASHING FINGER AGAINST TRACK PAD.

INJURED WAS HAULING A LOAD OF COAL FROM JOB 2A HAD ROUNDED A CURVE ON A SLIGHT DOWN GRADE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. HE JUMPED FROM THE TRUCK AND SUSTAINED BROKEN BONES, BRUISES AND LACERA TIONS.