Mine Co. Fined $4,456 for Violations Tied to Fatal West Virginia Accident

Massey Energy has been fined nearly $4,500 for safety violations the state says contributed to a fatal accident at a West Virginia coal mine.

Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training inspectors found the violations while investigating the Dec. 4 accident at Massey’s Stockton mine in Kanawha County.

Miner David Neal fell about 39 feet when a conveyer belt started unexpectedly while he was making repairs. The 57-year-old Dixie resident died 10 days later.

Massey was fined $1,700 because the electricity wasn’t turned off and the belt wasn’t locked. Separate $1,250 fines cover a broken startup alarm and failure to provide a safety harness. Massey also was fined $256 because a power supply switch was broken.

Massey is the nation’s fourth-largest coal producer by revenue and operates 19 mining complexes in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia