A broken sheave hook and cable are blamed for a death earlier this month at a Consol Energy mine in northern West Virginia
Investigators from the Mine Safety and Health Administration released the final report on the accident which claimed the life of Roger King, 62, of Moundsville. The investigation revealed King was supervising installation of a face conveyor chain on a longwall at the McElroy Mine in Marshall County
The investigation showed a battery operated scoop was being used with a sheave block and wire rope to pull the chain thorough the pan line toward the tail drive. The chain became fouled, according to the report, and King moved into a position to see what caused the problem. The scoop continued to move and apply tension which broke the sheave assembly and rope. The sheave struck King in the head causing the fatal injury.
King was maintenance coordinator on the longwall and had 42 years of mining experience. He was the 15th miner to die on the job in the United States
