The worker, identified by local media outlets as 37-year-old Jeri Etsitty, died the evening of July 21 at BHP Billiton’s Navajo Coal operation after being hit by a pickup truck being driven by a mine vendor.

“As part of a wellness program instituted at the mine, the victim was walking along a rural road on the permit area for the mine when the pickup struck her from behind,” federal investigators said in a fatalgram released this week.

“The vendor was accessing the mine for routine maintenance.”

To help prevent other similar incidents at other US operations, MSHA spotlighted the need for all miners to stay alert for unexpected pedestrians while driving and to always maintain complete control over a vehicle or equipment while in operation.

Other best practices for operations include driving at speeds relative to changing light and conditions, while pedestrians at mine sites should walk in designated pedestrian areas or facing traffic while wearing highly visible reflective clothing. When crossing a roadway, they should ensure there is no oncoming traffic.

Finally, the agency reminded the industry to post signs with appropriate speed limits in areas where pedestrians may be present.

Federal officials encourage anyone with additional prevention ideas to submit them through its web site, including the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

Etsitty’s death is the tenth in the industry in the 2011 calendar year and the fourth classified by MSHA under powered haulage. It was the first to be recorded in New Mexico.