According to Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing officials, 47-year-old lead blaster Darrel Winstead and 23-year-old blaster helper Samuel Lindsey died on October 28 at the Equality mine near Madisonville after being crushed by rocks and debris that fell completely over their 1-tonne pickup truck from the failed highwall.

“The victims were driving in the pit, past a trackhoe loading coal as they approached their work area,” federal officials said in their preliminary findings.

“The rock reached approximately 80 feet across the 100ft wide pit and struck the trackhoe and a haulage vehicle being loaded at the time of the accident.”

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The blasters worked for Mine Equipment and Mill Supply Company (MEMSCO).

To help prevent future similar incidents at other mines in the country, MSHA issued a collection of best work practices, including the training of all miners to recognize hazardous highwall conditions and to be one’s own examiner and find hazards proactively.

It also stressed mines should follow its method of look, listen and evaluate – a daily process to ensure conditions are safe at highwalls and pits. Adequate lighting should also be maintained to aid in examinations, particularly during situations with low or no light.

When highwall hazards are realized, officials reminded operators to communicate the conditions immediately and ensure appropriate action is taken to remove them.

Finally, as workers follow safe procedures, operations must ensure that personnels’ work or travel areas and mining systems or equipment are operating are a safe distance from the toe of the highwall.

Winstead and Lindsey’s deaths were the 16th and 17th recorded in the US this year, and the first that were not single deaths.

The fatalities were the first two in 2011 classified by MSHA as Fall of Highwall.

The Equality complex mines coal from the West Kentucky 14, 13, 12 and 11 coal seams.