Industry news
Coal site closed after worker death
Posted Mon, 26 Oct 2009
UK Coal has suspended production at a site in Yorkshire after the death of a mineworker last week.
The largest coal mining company in the UK closed its Kellingley colliery after the death of 46-year-old Ian Cameron. It will remain closed for up to two weeks.
The firm was already facing a number of Health and Safety Executive investigations relating to deaths in separate incidents at its collieries.
Three people died at the Daw Mill site in Warwickshire between 2006 and 2007, and there was a further death at the Welbeck colliery near Mansfield in 2007.
An apparent equipment failure is thought to be responsible for the incident in which Mr Cameron died, and UK Coal said the HSE had required it to halt production at the Kellingley site while alterations were made.
A spokesman for the company explained the firm was stopping production "while suspect valves on the roof supports of the coal face are changed".
The HSE said it was aware of the latest incident and had launched an investigation. Its prosecution of UK Coal over the previous deaths is due for an initial court hearing on November 26 at Doncaster Magistrates' Court.
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