State finds no contributing violations in August mine death

State finds no contributing violations in August mine death

September 24, 2007 12:55 PM
CHARLESTON, W.Va.

The state has issued three citations to a mine where a section foreman was killed last month.But the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training says none of the violations contributed to the Aug. 4 accident at the Rockhouse Creek Number 8 Mine near Gilbert in Mingo County. Miner Steve Browning Jr. died two days later at St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington.
Investigators determined Browning was struck in the head by a shaft that came loose from a continuous mining machine he was helping to fix.
In an accident report released Monday, the state said it cited Rockhouse for not maintaining proper air flow, setting a breaker too high on a transformer and not following its roof control plan.
A company spokesman did not immediately return a call Monday.
Five West Virginia miners have died on the job in 2007. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration puts the national death toll at 25.