Published: September 3, 2019 |

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A 25-year-old worker was killed when a long wall of coal collapsed on top of him in the Enlow Fork Mine in Washington County Thursday night.

The worker was identified as Tanner Lee McFarland of Washington, Pa., according to the county coroner’s office.

Authorities said the incident occurred around 6 p.m. in the mine, which is owned by CONSOL Energy, along Dry Run Road in Prosperity.

Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.

The coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

More than 1,500 people work at CONSOL’s Bailey Mine complex, which includes the Enlow Fork, Bailey and Harvey mines. The Enlow Fork mine is used for “longwall” mining, a form of underground coal mining in which a long wall is mined in a single slice.

According to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration website, the Enlow Fork death would be the 17th fatality nationally in 2019 — the eighth in a coal mine, the remainder at metal and non-metal operations — compared with six coal and 13 total deaths at the same point in 2018.

The mine has had 31 reported incidents in 2019, the most serious before this week’s death being a July 11 accident when part of a worker’s right index finger was caught in a strap and was amputated.

While there have been assorted lost-time accidents the past 10 years, the only other serious injury at Enlow Fork occurred in February 2018 when a miner’s foot was caught under decking, requiring surgery for his injured toes.

Earlier this month, CONSOL reported net income of $48.8 million in the second quarter of 2019 at the three-mine complex, while producing 7.2 million tons of coal.

The company, which has operated the Enlow Fork mine for 10 years, also reported that it had a 30 percent year-over-year improvement in the number of incidents as of June 30.

This story was updated Aug. 30 at 4:40 p.m.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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