The MSHA says the victim was struck when he walked into the path of a loaded shuttle car that was travelling to the dump point.
This is the fourteenth fatality reported in 2021 and the seventh fatality classified as 'powered haulage', the administration adds.
Best Practices:
• Install proximity detection systems on mobile equipment to protect personnel and eliminate accidents of this type.
• Be aware of your location in relation to movement of equipment, especially in lower seams.
• Sound audible warnings, distinguishable from surrounding noise, and reduce speed when approaching and before traveling through check curtains. Wear reflective clothing or strobe lights to aid visibility when working around mobile equipment.
• Assure all personnel are clear of the traveling path and turning radius before moving equipment.
• Train miners and equipment operators to communicate their location and wait for acknowledgement before moving.
