McCraren Compliance

MSHA – Mine Fatality #9

First published by MSHA

MINE FATALITY – On March 2, 2022, a miner was fatally injured when an overhang along the mine rib fell, striking the miner and pushing him against the canopy of a twin boom roof bolting machine.  The miner freed himself from the fall, but later died.

Accident scene where a miner was fatally injured when an overhang along the mine rib fell, striking the miner and pushing him against the canopy of a twin boom roof bolting machine.
Photo property of MSHA
Best Practices: 
  • Remove overhangs with the continuous mining machine.
  • Install support of proper length with surface area coverage, on cycle, and in a consistent pattern for the best protection against falls.
  • Examine the roof, face, and ribs immediately before starting work in an area where people work and travel, including sound and vibration testing where applicable.
  • Scale loose roof and ribs from a safe location.  Prevent access to hazardous areas until you take corrective measures.
  • Take additional safety precautions when encountering new and changing roof and rib conditions.
  • Train miners on how to identify hazardous roof and rib conditions.
Additional Information:

This is the ninth fatality reported in 2022, and the first classified as “Fall of Face, Rib, Side, or Highwall.”


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

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