Mining Incidents

Leer Prep PlantCoal

ICG Tygart Valley · Facility
Thornton, Taylor County, WV · Active
MSHA Mine ID: 4609191
Fatalities
0
Total incidents
16
Years on record
2011–2025
Latest incident
May 2025
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

16 on file

2025 · 2 incidents

Accident type, without injuries

An Entrapment occurred whenever an employee was shoving coal away from the #1 Midd's feeder and the dozer slid backwards/down into the underling feeder. No injuries occurred from this incident.

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

After the employee completed their shift, EE went to their vehicle to start it and allow it to warm up. The employee started the vehicle without being seated inside of it. (standing outside the vehicle) The vehicle lunged forward during this process and ran over EE's left foot.

2022 · 4 incidents

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

The EE was operating a forklift to retrieve an I-Beam that was being lowered to the basement floor level of the prep plant processing building by a machining hoist. As the beam was lowered to the fork lift, the operator exited the equipment and attempted to guide the beam onto the forks. The load suddenly shifted, pinching right hand between the beam and fork.

Struck by falling object

Employee was falling a tree, the tree fell and contacted a limb that was on the ground. This limb then struck the employee in the left knee causing an MCL injury.

Struck by falling object

Driver started the belt on live bottom trailer forcing load against tailgate before unlatching tailgate. EE tried to free tailgate by hitting latch with a chain hook. This caused the tailgate to break free and hit the driver in the mouth.

Caught in, under or between two or more moving objects

Employee was turning motor sheave on unit 214 on the 3rd floor of the prep plant to assess the condition of the motor. When the employee rotated the belt, employee's right thumb was caught between the belt and the sheave. This resulted in a laceration to the right thumb that required five sutures.

2020 · 1 incident

Fall down stairs

On 8/20/20, employee was carrying a small sieve pulley and lost EE's footing, while descending the 4th floor stairs, falling down four steps and injuring EE's left hand. EE started missing work on 9/9/20 upon discovering that EE's small finger was fractured at the 5th metacarpal.

2019 · 1 incident

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

The sample crusher was plugged from the crusher to the head of the primary belt. The employee used a scraper to try to unplug crusher while it was still operating. The crusher segment hit the scraper causing it to come upward striking EE in the mouth and cutting EE's hand, resulting in laceration.

2018 · 1 incident

Fall to the walkway or working surface

Employee was starting to enter the hole area for the 7' pipe, when employee stepped on ice and fell backwards onto the ground. As a result of the fall, employee broke EE's left femur at EE's hip joint, which required surgery to correct.

2017 · 1 incident

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

EMPLOYEE WAS STRUCK BY A PIECE OF METAL WHILE REMOVING DEBRIS FROM THE MAGNET OF THE CLEAN COAL BELT LINE. BELT AND MAGNET WERE DE-ENERGIZED. EMPLOYEE COULDN'T HOLD METAL AND WANTED MAGNET BACK ON. ONCE POWER CAME ON THE METAL SMASHED EMPLOYEE'S THUMB.

2016 · 2 incidents

Fall from ladders

EE was cutting out sides of a chute from inside the chute to be replaced. They had an over head crane stabilizing the top & a chain fall stabilizing the bottom of the plate being cut out to prevent from falling/swaying. A small weld was still in-tacked & as the employee was descending the ladder the weld came loose making the plate spin hitting the ladder & making the EE fall.

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was using a hammer to install a screen when the hammer slipped causing a laceration to employee's hand that required 3 stitches to close.

2015 · 1 incident

Accident type, without injuries

A dozer operating in the raw coal stock pile ran over the feeder #4 which had a void underneath, this allowed the dozer to drop in to the void. The dozer was covered in coal from the rear up to and including the operator's cab. It took approximately 75 minutes to uncover the cab so the operator could get out.

2012 · 2 incidents

Fall onto or against objects

Employee was working off a ladder using 100% fall protection anchored overhead to a piece of structural steel. His foot slipped off ladder and when land yard caught him his left foot struck and adjacent motor on the side of the foot. The EE was wearing metatarsal footwear which was confirmed during investigation but hit the side of his foot.

Flash burns (welding)

Employee was working near someone that was welding off to his left side. Later that evening his left eye began to hurt and he thought he may have gotten something in it, but turned out to be a flash burn and was given prescription eye drops.

2011 · 1 incident

Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Employee was putting valves in a des lime classifier during new construction and jumped down the corrugated deck flooring, causing him to twist his knee.