Mining Incidents

McKinleyCoal

Controlled by Chevron Corporation
Gallup, Mckinley County, NM · Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 2900096
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
63
Years on record
2000–2013
Latest incident
Jan 2013
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

63 on file

2013 · 1 incident

Struck against a moving object

A 966 loader was loading from a stockpile and struck a large rock that was buried beneath the stockpile. The impact injured the wrist of the operator.

2012 · 2 incidents

Accident type, without injuries

A 657 scraper operator was on his third round of topsoil placement for the day when the fill blade operator notified him of flames coming from his rear engine. The scraper operator stopped and contacted supervision. The fire department was called immediately. The fire department arrived on scene and proceeded to put out the flames utilizing foam.

Fall onto or against objects

Employee was working on top of the crane boom trying to pin the equalizer, using a sleever bar to move the equalizer, when the equalizer slipped back, striking the employee causing him to fall between the lacings of the boom. His harness caught him before he hit the ground, but he struck and caught his left leg on one of the lacings causing a fracture to his lower left leg.

2011 · 4 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The gear puller was attached & pressure was applied, when employee used a crescent wrench to hold the shaft from turning as the pressure was applied. One of the gear puller arm broken & puller sprung away from the pinion gear with force, causing the force pulled on the arm or struck left shoulder.

Struck against a moving object

Supervisor was sitting in parked vehicle, when he was struck by employee personal vehicle head on going about 15-20 mph at the time of incident. Supervisor sustained injury to back.

Fall from machine

Welder was check loaded items on flatbed of supply truck, when he missed a step and fell off of truck. He struck his rt shoulder and head.

Struck against a moving object

Employee was in process of being task trained to operator 330 Articulation truck and was a passenager, loader 950 got into soft spot and loaded landed on its side at the loading area. The loader bucket struck the bumper of truck.

2010 · 4 incidents

Over-exertion in wielding or throwing objects

A groundman at the Dragline #3 was assisting in the resocketing of the hoist ropes. As the EE swung a #20 sledgehammer, he missed square impact and glanced off the hoist wedge and hit right side steel-toed boot. The EE refused onsite treatment and was transported to a medical facility for evaluation.

Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was assisting in patching holes/cracks on top of the dragline. When he was walking across the roof he slipped and fell on a patch of ice next to the dry walkway.

Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was walking to his assigned equipment after he had attended his pre-shift toolbox session and instructions when he slipped on icy conditions in the parking area and fell on his back.

Struck against a moving object

The EE drove into a pot hole, the vehicle bounced, and he hit the left top door/cab with his hard hat. He was wearing his seat belt. First aid provided and transported to RMCH ER. Initial evaluation was a chipped back top tooth on right side. He was released back to work without any restrictions and referred to his personal dentist for further evaluation and treatment.

2009 · 3 incidents

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

EE was removing rocks from the draw off tunnel when he lost grip, causing right hand to be caught between the rock and concrete floor in the tunnel. 1st aid was given, seen at ER, diagnosed with a hair-line fracture of his little finger.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Drill operator was entering the drill cab when he got his right index finger caught in between the cab door and door frame sustaining laceration and fracture to the tip of finger.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was operating a 1350 LeTourneau loader when the right lift arm ball broke causing a major hydraulic line to get stretch and come loose and whip around hitting the operator's cab on right side. The impact of the hydraulic line broke the cab window and sprayed employee with splinters of glass, causing a cut on employee's right ear and shoulder which required sutures.

2008 · 2 incidents

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Employee was placing a wooden block to secure a shovel bucket dump door, when the wooden block slipped and caught his right ring finger between the block and shovel bucket, causing a fracture to tip of his right ring finger.

Struck against stationary object

Welder was knocking on a knocker wrench with a sledge hammer, when the nut loosen it caused him to over swing the hammer causing him to hit against a protruding bolt with his right index finger. Welder sustained a laceration and fracture to the tip of right index finger.

2007 · 9 incidents

Struck against stationary object

Employee was walking in front of a rimpull haulage truck, when he slipped he grapped the front bumper hitch that had a sharp metal burr which cut through his leather glove and cut the tip of his right index finger.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee had repaired a dragline house fan pulley and had returned it to the dragline. Employee placed the pulley on the right dragline shoe, the movement of the shoe and the rounded surface of the pulley caused it to rolled off the shoe and hit his left face cheek area causing a laceration.

Struck against a moving object

Employee stated while driving a loaded coal haul truck she hit a bump in the haul road which caused pain in her lower lumbar area.

Fall onto or against objects

Employee was attempting to fuel a diesel welder that is mounted on a truck, when he slipped and fell off the truck, striking a waste fuel barrel that was sitting by the fuel station. Employee sustained two fractured ribs on his left backside.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee jumped onto a cribbing mat to help unload boards and slipped on grease causing him to twist his (L) knee. Treatment involved modified work as of 4/26/07 and a knee brace.

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was installing a dozer ripper shank guard onto the shank, when the guard slipped and pinched his right middle finger between the guard and shank causing a laceration to finger.

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee while inspecting a dragline house fan shaft assembly, lost his balance and grapped the belt and it moved, pinching his left middle and ring finger between the belt and pulley. The power to the fan was shut off, but putting weight on the belt moved it.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was helping reposition the shovel trailing cable, he was standing by the cable which was being pulled by a rubber tired dozer, when the cable struck his left ankle. The impact of the cable caused a fracture to employee's left ankle.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

While setting up a water pump which was on a trailer, the trailer front end tilted up so the employees decided to place rocks on it to level it up. While placing a large rock on the trailer an employee got his left ring finger pinched between the rock and trailer frame causing a laceration which required medical treatment (suture).

2006 · 4 incidents

Struck by falling object

EE loading piece of broken buching onto forklift...piece slipped off fork & struck EE on left leg shin bone causing bruising & swelling.

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was assisting in re-socketing drag ropes on dragline#4. While removing the 3 piece wedges on the left socket. While removing the 3 piece wedge it slipped out of his left hand and fell approx. 8"" pinching his right distal middle finger between a piece of the wedge and the ground. Resulted in lacerations to finger and a possible fracture.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was carrying fence posts & stepped in a hole.

Fall down stairs

Had washed top floor of loadout, in freezing weather. As he was descending three step to lower level foot slipped on ice. Put left hand down to break fall. left little finger went through opening in floor grating and left 5th metacarpal was fractured.

2005 · 2 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Replacing bottom roller on D11 dz while EE helping position roller,it shifted struck left hand at a glancing blow. Incident reported on 10-11-05. He was seen on the next day in ER and referred to specialist.Fracture was already healing and Dr. felt no need for any medical procedures because fract won't affect any function of the hand.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was obtaining a box of earplugs for another employee. She saw a centipede and quickly pulled her hand back. She was not wearing gloves and the back of her right hand was scraped by metal grating on the pallet. She received a laceration to the back of that hand which required two stitches to close.

2004 · 6 incidents

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was placing walking cam lube bags on the 1370-W walking cam frame while the dragline was walking. While placing a bag on the cam frame, he slipped and the roller passed over his right hand. The right hand was partially, traumatically amputated from the tip of the right index finger to the knuckle of the pinky finger.

Struck by falling object

Ernest was placing plates in the adjustable jack stand. While pushing plate in the emergency latch was moved and the top plates of the stand came down on top of his right thumb. Crush injuries resulted in partial avulsion of right thumbnail and thumb tip tissue.

Struck against a moving object

Returning to pit, right front wheel left haul road and struck culvert and embankment at intersection in haul road. Truck jacknifed, turned sharply to left and struck berm. Employee received laceration to left side of head, requiring stitches. Window and steering cylinder damage to haul truck.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Attempting to remove a water bottle from the A/C unit in his drill. Left ring and index fingers contacted the unit's blades. Lacerations to ring and index fingers. Fracture partial amputation of tip of index finger.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Dismounting left shoe of dragline and stepped on indentation left by the shoe impression. Received a left ankle and groin sprain.

Struck by flying object

The employee was working in the service bay, approximately 10 feet from where a mechanic was trying to remove a toothcap from the bucket of a loader. A piece of metal struck the employee in the left bicep. He was taken to RMCH emergency room and the metal was removed and the wound was sutured.

2003 · 7 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WHILE CUTTING A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE, THE UTILITY KNIFE SLIPPED & LACERATED HIS LT HAND, MIDDLE FINGER, DISTAL END. LACERATION WAS 1""LONG & REQUIRED SUTURES TO CLOSE. THE TAPE BEING REPAIR ED IS USED BY SHOOTERS TO MEASURE HOLE DEPTHS LOADING OF HOLES FOR BLASTING. HE WAS HOLDING THE ELECTRICAL TAPE IN LT. HAND BETWEEN THUMB & THE PALM OF HAND.

Struck against a moving object

WAS LEAVING WORK, HE WAS DRIVING HIS PERSONAL VEHICLE & DRIVING INTO THE SUN. HIS VEHICLE STRUCK A RED DOG PILE, AT A GLANCING BLOW. HE WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF HIS CAR. HE ALSO RECEIVED A VERY MILD COMPRESSION FRACTURE TO HIS T-12 & L-5 VERTABRAES.

Fall to the walkway or working surface

AFTER BUILDING SOME DRAGLINE ROAD, HE GOT OFF THE DOZER AND MOVED THE ELECTRICAL TRAIL CABLE TO GIVE MORE ROOM TO CONTINUE BUILDING ROAD. AS HE STEPPED BACK HE FORGOT ABOUT THE MUD WINDOW HE CREATED WITH THE DOZER BLADE AND TRIPPED BACKWARDS. HE PUT HIS HAND OUT TO BREAK FALL. WHEN HIS HAND CONTACTED GROUND HE FELT HIS WRIST POP AND FELT PAIN FRACTURED HIS WRIST.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

HE WAS REMOVING AXLE FROM MOTOR GRADER USING AIR IMPACT WRENCH TO REMOVE FRAME. BOLT BACKED OUT PINCHING LEFT LITTLE FINGER BETWEEN FRAME AND IMPACT WRENCH. LACERATION & FRACTURED FINGER.

Struck by falling object

EE WAS WORKING IN THE LUBE BAY. HE WAS REELING UP THE 90W LUBE HOSE AFTER USE. THE 40W HOSE NEXT TO THE 90W FELL OFF IT'S REEL AND THE NOZZLE STRUCK HIS SAFETY GLASSES. THE PLASTIC STEM LACERA TED HIS RIGHT CHEEK. SUTURES WERE REQUIRED TO CLOSE THE CUT. THE 40W HOSE WASN'T REPLACED PROPERLY ON THE UP REEL.

Accident type, without injuries

AT THE TIME THE FIRE STARTED THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE AT THE WORK AREA WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES F. THE PROBABLE FUEL SOURCE WAS HYDRAULIC OIL AND THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL AND IGNITION SOURCE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. ALL COMPONENTS WILL BE EXAMINED AND TESTED WHERE POSSIBLE. THE FIRE SUPRESSION SYSTEM IS ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HE WAS MOVING A STRAW BALE & TRIPPED OVER A ROCK.

2002 · 6 incidents

(Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE MISSED HIS FIRST DAY OF WORK ON 12/11/02. HE HAS A HISTORY OF BACK RELATED PROBLEMS DATING BACK TO THE EARLY 1980'S. HE HAS RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE DURING MOST OF HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH P/M LOCAL. PER THE ADVICE OFSEVERAL DR.'S, SURGERY ISN'T AN OPTION.

Struck by flying object

EE USING 16# SLEDGE HAMMER TO REMOVE WEDGES FROM DRAG SOCKET. WHEN STRUCK WEDGE A METAL SHARD FLEW OFF STRIKING LEFT CHEEK.

Fall onto or against objects

WEATHER WET AND MUDDY. EE WAS SECURING A LADDER TO REPLACE QUARTZ LIGHT ON 2300 SHOVEL. FOOT SLIPPED AND HE FELL AGAINST TRACK. SUSTAINED LACERATION TO SCALP AND CONTUSION TO HEAD. LACER ATION REQUIRED SUTURES TO CLOSE.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

CUTTING DUMP ROPE (3 1/2"" WIRE ROPE) FROM DUMP SOCKET OF DRAGLINE. ROPE WAS TWISTED AND IN A BIND. WHEN TENSION WAS RELEASED, AFTER ROPE WAS CUT WITH OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH ROPE SLAPPED HIS LEFT LEG/ANKLE AND DROVE IT INTO SOCKET.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

REMOVING A CABLE ROPE ALIGNMENT PIN ON 65 TON BOOM SHEAVE. THE DRAFT PUNCH MOVED AND HAMMER STRUCK PALM SURFACE ON LEFT HAND. RESULTING INJURY WAS ONE INCH CUT ON PALM OF LEFT HAND REQUIRING FOUR SUTURES.

Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

RETURNING BACK TO WORK AFTER LUNCH BREAK, HE ENTERED THROUGH THE SIDE DOOR WHERE A GUST OF WIND BEGAN TO SLAM DOOR CLOSED. MECHANIC REACHED BACKTO TRY TO STOP DOOR BUT CAUGHT RIGHT MIDDLE FING ER BETWEEN DOOR AND DOOR JAM, SMASHING FINGER. CUT END OF FINGER AT AN ANGLE FROM TIP TO FIRST JOINT FROM END.

2001 · 8 incidents

Fall from machine

WEATHER WAS COLD & SNOWY. OPERATOR WAS CLEANING WINDOWS ON HIS DOZER. HIS FEET SLIPPED AND HE LOST HIS GRIP OF THE GRAB RAIL. HE FELL APPROX. 8'& LANDED OFF UPPER BACK AGAINST THE GROUND. HE SUFFERED A FRACTURE OF HIS T5 VERTABRAE.

Struck against a moving object

DROVE DOZER INTO A 6' DEEP SLOT THAT HE HAD DOZED EARLIER IN THE SHIFT.

Fall to lower level, (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS WALKING AND STEPPED IN A HOLE.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WAS REPLAICNG FEED PUMP ON DM 50 DRILL. HE WAS USING AHAND TOOL SOCKET ON AN AIR 1/2"" IMPACT WRENCH. THE SOCKET CAME OFF EXTENSION. THE EXTENSION SPUN IN THE PALM OF LEFT HAND. CAUSED LACERATI ONS REQUIRED 8 SUTURES TO CLOSE.

(Not Elsewhere Classified)

ANNUAL AUDIOGRAM REVEALED 29 DB THRESHOLD SHIFT IN RIGHT EAR. RETEST @MINE CONFIRMED A SIZEABLE SHIFT ON 4/03/01. APPOINTMENT ARRANGED TO SEE CERTIFIED AUDIOLOGIST IN ALBUQUERQUE ON 8/6/01. RECEIVED RESULTS A WEEK LATER. ON 10/15/01 AUDIOLOGIST INFORMED ME THAT LOSS IS WORK RELATED ANDTHEREFORE REPORTABLE.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HE WAS POSITIONING 150# BRAKE SHOES FOR FORK LIFT. LIFTED ONE END AND SHOE TWISTED, STRIKING LEFT RING FINGER. INJURY REQUIRED 8 SUTURES.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

WAS UNLOADING EMPTY OXYGEN BOTTLES AT WAREHOUSE. FRATERNITING WITH WAREHOUSE CLERK OXYGEN BOTTLE SAT DOWN ON RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER. HAIRLINE FRACTURE OF ISTAL DIGIT OF FINGER & BRUSING.

Over-exertion in lifting objects

HELPING ATTACH A CLEVIS AND TOW CABLE TO A HAUL TRUCK THAT WAS TUCK. STRAINED HIS LOWER BACK CAUSING MUSCLE SPASMS.

2000 · 5 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS USING A PRY BAR TO PUT LINKAGE IN A SHAFT ON A COAL DRILL, WHILE PULLING ON PRYBAR, IT SLIPPED AND STRUCK ON THE UNDER SIDE OF HIS CHIN. RECEIVED A LACERATION ON CHIN WHICH REQUIRED NIN E STITCHES TO CLOSE.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

HE WAS PULLING HIMSELF UP ONTO IR DRILL USING A HANDRAIL. HE FELT SOMETHING PULL IN RIGHT BICEP.CONSULTATION WITH DOCTOR DETERMINED THAT SURGERYWAS NEEDED TO REPAIR TENDON AND ROTATOR CUFF ON ARM AND SHOULDER. SURGERY ON 12/13/00.

Struck against a moving object

TRUCK DRIVER DRIVING A LOADED 160 TON RIMPULL TRUCK UP A RAMP STALLED OUT WHEN IT SPUN OUT ON A MUDDY SPOT IN THE RAMP. THE TRUCK ROLLED BACKWARDS AND JACKKNIFED, CAUSING THE TRACTOR TO ROLL ON ITS SIDE. DRIVER DID NOT START MISSING WORK UNTIL 9/7/00.

Struck by falling object

EMPLOYEE WAS INSTALLING RACK BOLTS. HE PUT IN A BOLT HOLE AND REACHED FOR A HAMMER WHEN THE BOLT FELL OUT OF THE HOLE AND LANDED ON HIS LITTLE FINGER OF HIS LEFT HAND.

Struck by flying object

EMPLOYEE WAS LOADING STRAW BALES INTO A STRAW MULCHER WHEN EMPLOYEE THREW A BALE. IT HIT TH EMACHINE AND BOUNCED INTO INJURED'S LEFT LEG. HE COMPLAINED OF PAIN AND WAS SENT TO THE DOCTOR. HE T ORE LIGAMENTS IN HIS LEFT KNEE.