Mining Incidents

Sulphur Springs StripCoal

Controlled by Vistra Energy
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, TX · Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 4102776
Fatalities
1
Total incidents
45
Years on record
2000–2014
Latest incident
Aug 2014

Fatalities at this mine

1 recorded
Struck by falling object

Employee exited the Hitachi Shovel and placed himself between the shovel and highwall. While on the ground between the shovel and highwall, the highwall sloughed and pinned the employee against the track of the machine resulting in a fatality.

Reportable incidents

44 on file (excluding fatalities above)

2014 · 6 incidents

Contact with hot objects or substances

Employee was assisting in removing hot coal from silo and suffered burns to his arms and legs.

Contact with hot objects or substances

Employee was burned while assisting in removing coal from a silo due to an unexpected coal spill.

Contact with hot objects or substances

While employee was assisting in removing hot coal from a silo hot coal spilled out and burned employee as he was escaping.

Contact with hot objects or substances

While assisting in removing hot coal from silo the employee was burned when there was an unexpected spill.

Contact with hot objects or substances

The employee was assisting in getting coal out of silo and had an unexpected spill of hot coal. He was burned while escaping the area.

Fall from ladders

Employee was assigned to turn on grease lines at ALPM shop. He stepped up on four step roll around ladder and opened valve while descending the ladder he missed a step and fractured his right ankle.

2011 · 4 incidents

Struck by flying object

Employee was using an air chuck to deliver air to a flat tire when the escaping air from the chuck blew debris onto his face.

Over-exertion in lifting objects

EE was lifting and pushing a bar through the holes on his line boring fixture. The lift was a vertical lift from the ground. When the EE was making the final push upward, he felt a burning/tear in the lower abdominal area.

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

EE was installing silt fence. A trench was cut in work area causing a slope and loose soil. While EE was driving the particular t-post, he lost his balance causing him to brace himself against falling. As he was off balance the post driver came off of post going down, pinning his finger between the driver and t-post.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee slipped on a bent end dump ladder twisting his knee. He was placed on restriction from climbing and must wear a knee brace for approximately 12 calendar days per doctors report. There is no evidence of acute fracture, dislocation, joint effusion or soft tissue swelling per the radiology report.

2010 · 2 incidents

Fall to the walkway or working surface

Journeyman was stepping from a hose guard that covers the hoses on the trunion to the right track when he slipped and lacerated the back of his head requiring stitches.

Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating end dump when he hit a slick area on the ramp. The employee lost control of the vehicle and the equipment turned over.

2009 · 3 incidents

Fall onto or against objects

A Journeyman was pulling on a loader tire with a tire truck. The supervisor was beside the rear of the tire reaching over behind the tire operating a porta power. As the tire truck hand was pulling the tire the tire hand slipped and the tire retracted back and the tread of the tire struck the supervisor and knocked him against the frame of the loader fracturing his scapula.

Accident type, without injuries

A mud trap and water hole broke loose in the east end of the pit, causing shovels and dump trucks to have to evacuate the area.

Struck by flying object

Employee was removing an old gasket with a buffing wheel. Safety glasses and safety goggles were being worn by the employee. The employee had also installed a fender on a scraper. He was wearing safety glasses while doing this task. The employee received some foreign matter in his right eye while conducting one of these task.

2008 · 5 incidents

Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a D10 dozer. He was ripping out several rocks and when backing up, the dozer slipped into a hole. This caused the dozer to jar, resulting in an injury to the employee's back.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was moving a 6 inch discharge water line and in doing so pulled his right calf muscle.

Struck against a moving object

The injured was operating a scraper and drove through a rough place in the haulage road causing the scraper to bounce him around and causing pain in his lower back.

Struck against a moving object

Employee was operating a scraper and was approaching a loaded coal hauler to push it up the ramp after it lost traction and stopped on the ramp. As the scraper operator was approaching the hauler, the hauler tried to pull the ramp again and began to roll back and rolled into the scraper jarring the scraper operator, causing soreness in his neck and back.

Struck against a moving object

While employee was operating a Euclid End Dump he received a pinched nerve in his neck from the bed closing hard and jarring the truck after dumping his load of dirt.

2007 · 4 incidents

Absorption of radiations, caustics, toxic and noxious substances

While getting in the cab of a buldozer, the employee was bitten by an insect on his left arm.

Struck by flying object

While operating a coal hauler a dust particle blew into the employee's left eye. The operator was wearing safety glasses and the windows on the truck were rolled up. The employee was issued an eye prescription.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee felt numbness in his left thumb and two fingers while operating front end loader. Employee went to doctor on March 12, 2007. Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel was made on March 19, 2007

Struck against a moving object

Employee was pushing hauler up ramp with scraper. While going up ramp the hauler dropped in a low spot. This allowed the push block of the scraper to ride up on the hauler push block picking the scraper up and then the scraper slipping off and dropping to the ground injuring the employees back.

2006 · 2 incidents

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

Employee closed door on right thumb lacerating and fracturing it after mounting equipment.

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee's foot slipped on bed of fuel truck causing him to twist his left knee. It had been raining. He has been working his regular duties since the incident on January 22, 2006. His left knee has been bothering him off and on since that time. On May 26, 2006 he began receiving physical therapy to strengthen his knee.

2005 · 1 incident

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The injured was woking on the air conditioner of a motorgrader. He was attempting to cut a low pressure line with a utility knife. When material was cut through, the knife closed cutting his ring finger.

2004 · 2 incidents

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The injured was using a truck to pull some slack in some pump line. After getting slack and backing up truck the injured was picking up on mender to let someone unhook the strap when he caught his finger between the truck bed and pumpline mender cutting his finger.

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

Employee cut and smashed index finger on right hand requiring stitches while assisting in installing torque idlers and torquing idler cap bolts on dozer.

2003 · 5 incidents

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

AFTER OPERATING SCRAPER EE EXPERIENCED BACK PAIN.

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

UTILITYMAN OPENED THE CAGE TO ADJUST THE BELT SCRAPER ON THE CONVEYOR B TAKE-UP TOWER. WHEN THE UTILITYMAN TURNED THE SCRAPER SO THAT IT WOULD TOUCH THE BELT THE BELT CAUGHT HIS GLOVE AND PULL ED HIS HAND IN BETWEEN THE BELT AND THE SCRAPER.

No Value Found

DOZER WAS PUSHING OVERBURDEN OVER HIGHWALL. DOZER GOT TOO CLOSE TO HIGHWALL EDGE. DOZER STARTED TILTING OVER HIGHWALL. HIGHWALL HEIGHT IS APPROX30FT TOTAL. FIRST DROP APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET TO RED DIRT THAT HAD BEEN PUSHED DOWN. DOZER ROLLEDAPPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 15 FEET ONTO LEFT SIDE.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS CUTTING TIE WRAP WITH POCKET KNIFE. WHEN THE KNIFE CUT THROUGH THE TIE WRAP IT STABBED EE IN THE LEFT HAND BETWEEN THE THUMB & FOREFINGER.

Struck against a moving object

KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE RAN THROUGH TXU ""MEN WORKING"" SIGN LOCATED ON TXU PROPERTY AND COLLIDED WITH A TXU LOCOMOTIVE WHICH WAS NOT MOVING AT THE TIME. THE IMPACT THREW EE AGAI NST THE DOOR.

2002 · 6 incidents

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS RAKING OUT COAL BUILD-UP WITH A HOE WHEN AN ALIGNMENT ROLLER CAUGHT HIS SHIRT OR GLOVE & PULLED HIS ARM INTO IT.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EE WAS CUTTING ROPE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO DISCHARGE LINE WITH POCKET KNIFE. AFTER ROPE WAS CUT THE MOMEMTUM OF THE KNIFE CAUSED A CUT TO EE'S LEG.

Caught in, under or between (Not Elsewhere Classified)

EMPLOYEE PINCHED 1/4"" - 1/2"" OF MIDDLE RIGHT FINGER OFF WHILE INSTALLING DUMP DOOR CYLINDER ON HAULER.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

AS EE WAS DISMOUNTING MOTORGRADER HE SWUNG HIS RIGHT HAND INTO THE ENGINE FAN CUTTING TOP OF HAND IN TWO PLACES.

Fall to the walkway or working surface

MECHANIC WAS REMOVING ENGINE PARTS TO REMOVE CYLINDER HEAD. HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE STEPLADDER CAUSING HIM TO FALL BETWEEN THE LADDER AND VEHICLE FRAME.

Fall to the walkway or working surface

EE HAD FINISHED WASHING DOWN THE TUNNEL. HE WAS ROLLING UP WATER HOSE AND THE HOSE GOT HUNG. AS HE WAS PULLING ON THE HOSE HIS FOOT SLIPPED CAUSING HIM TO FALL. THIS RESULTED IN EE HAVING PAIN IN RIGHT KNEE.

2001 · 2 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE INJURED WAS CLEANING OUT THE ROLLER FRAME OF A DOZER WHEN HE RUBBED HIS FACE AND FELT SOMETHING IN HIS LEFT EYE.

Struck by flying object

EE WAS WELDING ON FENDER OF TRUCK. HE RAISED HIS WELDING HOOD AND A PIECE OF DIRT BLEW INTO HIS LEFT EYE.

2000 · 2 incidents

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

THE INJURED WAS ASSISTING THE REMOVAL OF A PITMAN ARM. ANOTHER EE WAS USING A SLEDGEHAMMER TO REMOVE THE ARM. WHEN THE ARM STARTED COMING OFF, THE INJURED REPOSITIONED HIS HAND BECAUSE HE THOU GHT THE ARM WAS TOO HEAVY FOR ANOTHER EE HOLDING THE ARM. THE EE WITH THE SLEDGEHAMMER HIT HIS FINGER.

Struck by flying object

THE INJURED WAS WELDING A COAL BREAKING PLOW TO THE SCREEN INSIDE THE ROTARY BREAKER. HIS SAFETY GLASSES FOGGED UP AND HE REMOVED THEM. WHILE CHIPPING A WELD WITH HIS WELDING HOOD UP, A PIECE OF SLAG WENT INTO HIS RIGHT EYE.