UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
District 4
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
SURFACE FACILITY
FATAL FALLING MATERIAL ACCIDENT
Black Bear Preparation Plant (ID No. 46-07985)
Mingo Logan Coal Company
High Voltage Construction Company, Inc. (ID K1F)
Wharncliffe, Mingo County, West Virginia
October 30, 1995
By
Curtiss Vance, Jr.
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Originating Office - Mine Safety and Health Administration
100 Bluestone Road, Mount Hope, West Virginia 25880
Earnest C. Teaster, Jr., District Manager
OVERVIEW
Abstract
On Monday, October 30, 1995, about 1:20 p.m., a falling material
accident occurred during the clear cutting of a power line right-
of-way, resulting in fatal injuries to Russell Chambers, Jr., age
45. Chambers was an independent contractor employed by High
Voltage Construction Company, Inc. (ID K1F). The victim and
three other employees were clearing timber and brush about 800
feet off the Mingo Logan Coal Company mine property. A tree, 8
inches in diameter, had been cut earlier in the day and had
fallen into a larger tree, tangling the branches of both trees
together. As the larger tree began to fall, the smaller tree was
lifted up off the ground allowing it to swing down along the
right side of the larger tree. The victim was knocked downhill
into the path of the falling larger tree, crushing him between
the tree and the ground.
Background
The Black Bear Preparation Plant (ID 46-07985) is a surface
facility which has a deep-mine coal stockpile area, silo storage,
truck dump, and truck haulage roads. The preparation plant is
operated by Mingo Logan Coal Company and is located 1 mile south
off county Rt. 8/1 of the Left Fork Ben Creek. Independent
contractor, M&H Trucking (ID D7T), provides haulage services for
the removal of refuse materials from the plant. This facility
processes coal from one surface mine and two underground mines.
The coal is transported to the preparation plant by an overland
belt conveyor and coal haulage trucks. Processed coal is shipped
by belt conveyor to a loadout where railroad cars are loaded for
shipment. The plant provides employment for 50 persons. Coal is
produced on two 12-hour shifts, 5 or 6 days per week. This
operation processes an average of 30,000 tons of coal per day of
operation.
High Voltage Construction Company, Inc., provides electrical
contractor services for installation of surface power lines and
substations for the mining industry and industrial community
other than mining and employs 9 persons. The principal officers
of High Voltage Construction Company, Inc., are Allen Thompson,
president; Jerry Wilkinson, vice president of operations; and
Harry Smith, vice president of construction and health & safety.
High Voltage Construction Company, Inc., was hired by Mingo Logan
Coal Company to relocate high voltage power lines for the future
mining of Mingo Logan Coal Company property by an independent
contractor (Premium Energy ID No. 46-07545). The High Voltage
Construction Company, Inc., contracted the clear cutting of the
power line right-of-way out to Russell Chambers, Jr., who hired
the employees to clear cut the right-of-way.
Mingo Logan Coal Company is a subsidiary of Ashland Coal, Inc.
The principal officers of Mingo Logan Coal Company are Markus
John Ladd, director/president; James Thomas Dillery, director;
Chester Russell Maberry, vice president; James M. Mullins, mine
manager; and Bob Aliff, plant manager.
Principal officers of Ashland Coal, Inc., are William Creel
Payne, president; Clarence Henry Besten, Jr., senior vice
president; Marc Roger Solochek, senior vice president; Kenneth
George Woodring, senior vice president; and Roy Franklin Layman,
administrative vice president.
The last Mine Safety and Health Administration regular Safety and
Health inspection was completed April 28, 1995.
STORY OF EVENT
On Monday, October 30, 1995, Russell Chambers, Jr., crew leader;
Russell Chambers III (Rusty), his son; and Liekie Snodgrass, his
nephew, of the High Voltage Construction Company, Inc., began
work clearing trees at 8:00 a.m., and work progressed as normal
without any unusual incidents. The crew was cutting timber for a
power line right-of-way on the north side of county Rt. 8/1 Left
Fork Ben Creek. The fourth member of the crew, Billy Hatfield,
arrived at 9:00 a.m. with parts he had picked up that morning
before coming to the job site. When Hatfield arrived, he took a
chain for a chain saw to where the other three members of the
crew were working and gave the chain to Rusty Chambers to install
on his chain saw.
After installing the new chain, Rusty started cutting trees in
the hollow on the right side of the right-of-way. Shortly after
he began cutting, the new chain caused extensive damage to the
drive sprocket. Russell told Rusty and Billy to go into Gilbert
and purchase a new sprocket for the chain saw. However, they
were unable to purchase a chain sprocket, so they borrowed a
chain saw from another crew of the High Voltage Construction
Company, Inc., working at another location in Mingo County.
Upon returning to the job site, Russell instructed Rusty to cut
one of the larger trees still standing downhill from his location
while Russell and Liekie were cutting trees at the top end of the
right-of-way. Rusty notched the tree on the downhill side and
began the fall cut on the left side of the tree. After cutting
halfway into the tree, the weight of the tree set down on the
chain and bar, fouling the chain saw. A smaller tree had been
cut earlier in the day and had fallen downhill into the upper
part of the larger tree that Rusty was cutting. Rusty and Billy
made several attempts to push on the larger tree to free the
fouled saw, but were unable to do so. Russell and Liekie came
down to provide assistance and all four men began to push on both
of the trees, but were unsuccessful in freeing the chain saw.
Russell then took a smaller chain saw and began to cut the tree
on the right side to fall the larger tree. Witnesses at the
scene stated that the smaller tree branches were entangled so
tightly with the larger tree being cut that once the cut was
finished and the larger tree began to fall, the smaller tree was
pulled with the falling tree, lifting the small tree and allowing
it to swing along the right side of the larger tree, striking the
victim on the right side of his head. The victim was knocked
downhill into the path of the falling larger tree, allowing the
tree to land on the victim, fatally crushing him.
Liekie Snodgrass stated that he immediately went to the Mingo
Logan Coal Company guard shack and called for emergency
assistance. The Stafford Ambulance Service records show the call
was made at 1:20 p.m., and the ambulance arrived at the accident
site at 1:35 p.m. Mingo County coroner, Steven Cook, arrived at
the accident site at 2:48 p.m. and pronounced the victim dead at
the scene of the accident. The victim was taken by the Stafford
Ambulance Service to the Chambers Funeral Home, in Matewan, West
Virginia.
INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENT
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was notified of
the accident at 2:45 p.m. on October 30, 1995, by James M.
Mullins, mine manager for the Mingo Logan Coal Company. MSHA
personnel arrived at the accident scene at 3:25 p.m. MSHA and
the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training
jointly conducted an investigation with the assistance of mine
management personnel and employees of the independent contractor
who witnessed the accident.
All parties were briefed by mine personnel as to the
circumstances surrounding the accident. A discussion was held
with everyone available who had knowledge of the accident.
Representatives of all parties traveled to the accident scene
where a thorough examination was conducted. Photographs and
relevant measurements were taken and sketches were made at the
accident site.
Interviews of individuals known to have direct knowledge of the
facts surrounding the accident were conducted at the MSHA Logan
field office conference room on November 9, 1995, at 12:30 p.m.
The physical portion of the investigation was also completed on
November 9, 1995.
DISCUSSION
Training
Records indicated that hazard training had been given to all four
of the independent contractor employees in accordance with 30 CFR
Part 48.
Physical Factors
- The victim had worked at various times over the past 10-year
period for the High Voltage Construction Company, Inc.
- The victim had been clearing trees and brush for a 2-week
period from a designated right-of-way for the purpose of
installing new power lines along the boundary of the Mingo Logan
Coal Company property.
- The tree being cut at the time of the accident was 69 feet in
length and 18 inches in diameter.
- The smaller tree that was tangled or fouled into the larger
tree was cut earlier in the day prior to the accident.
- The base of the smaller tree was 8 inches in diameter and 48
feet long.
- The base of the smaller tree measured 21 feet from the base of
the larger tree.
- The victim was apparently unaware that the smaller tree was so
tightly entangled that the larger tree would pull the smaller
tree alongside the larger tree as it fell downhill.
- Four tree cutters were used to clear the trees and brush in
the right-of-way.
CONCLUSION
The accident and resultant injury occurred because appropriate
steps were not taken to remove a small tree that had fallen into
the larger tree prior to the larger tree being cut down. As the
larger tree fell, the smaller tree was lifted in a pulling motion
allowing the smaller tree to swing along the right side of the
larger tree striking the victim and knocking him into the path of
the larger falling tree and fatally crushing him between the tree
and ground.
CONTRIBUTING VIOLATIONS
There were no violations of 30 CFR observed that contributed to
this accident.
Respectfully submitted by:
Curtiss Vance, Jr.
Coal Mine Safety and Health Inspector
Approved by:
Billy G. Foutch
Assistant District Manager
Earnest C. Teaster, Jr.
District Manager
Related Fatal Alert Bulletin: [FAB95C38]
|