Feds: Lack of Procedure Led to Indiana Mine Worker’s Death

A federal agency says the root cause of a southwestern Indiana mine accident that led to an Illinois man’s death was a lack of procedures to prevent worker injury.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration said in a report released Friday that it’s issued a “non-contributory citation” to contractor Frontier Kemper Constructors for failing to submit a complete list of worker task assignments in its approved training plan.

The Princeton Daily Clarion reports Frontier Kemper employee James Palmer of Marion, Ill., was working on a mine construction project at the Gibson South Mine near Owensville on May 15 when a hose pumping concrete surged and struck him, breaking his left ankle.

Palmer died nine days later at his Illinois home from a blood clot caused by the fracture.