Federal regulators say an accident that killed a coal miner in Pike County happened because a conveyor belt didn’t have adequate safety guards.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said in its report that 43-year-old Ray Hatfield Jr. was killed on Jan. 26 when his clothing got tangled in bolts on a roller shaft and he was pulled into the moving equipment. He had been shoveling loose coal from under the beltline.
MSHA says the mine operator, R&C Coal LLC, also didn’t have effective measures in place to ensure employees shut off the conveyor belt before working close to it.
Regulators cited R&C for several violations, including having inadequate guards around the beltline. Furthermore, MSHA says the mine operator failed to conduct proper safety checks.
Topics Kentucky
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
SIAA Announces Strategic Partnership With Progressive 
Consumer Acceptance of Telematics Widens, Says Survey 
Georgia Republicans Move to Scrap State Income Tax by 2032 Despite Concerns 
10 Highest Class-Action Settlements in 2025 Eclipsed $70B Total: Duane Morris 
