Wilson Rome Meade, 58, died on June 9 when he was pinned between a trailer and an outby bridge conveyor at the D&C mine in Harlan County, Kentucky, in the first underground coal death of 2009.

According to the preliminary report of the accident, the mine’s scoop operator was placing a trailer of concrete block at the number 35 crosscut on the 4 South main between the number 2 and 3 entries.

“The chain connecting the trailer of the block to the scoop became unattached and the trailer rolled down grade from 2 entry to 3 entry, pinning the victim against the outby bridge conveyor,” MSHA said.

After receiving treatment from the operation’s mine emergency technicians and being transported to the surface via a rubber-tyred mantrip, Meade was taken to a local medical centre where he was pronounced dead at 8:15pm.

MSHA confirmed that Meade, a section foreman for 30 years, had worked at the mine for five years. The operation has 19 employees in total, with 17 miners working underground.

To help prevent such incidents in the future at US operations, the agency released a series of best practices, including:

Avoid pushing equipment designed to be towed;

Ensure employees are properly instructed on proper towing procedures and the safe use of towing hardware/equipment;

Use only towing hardware (hitches, tow bars, receivers, couplers, pins, pintles, safety chains/cables, etc) that are properly designed for the load;

Monitor work habits routinely and examine work areas to ensure that safe working procedures are being followed; and

Be aware of the location of all persons in the area before moving equipment or supply carriers.

MSHA encouraged anyone with additional prevention ideas to submit them through its website, including the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

Meade’s death was the seventh in the industry in the 2009 calendar year and the fourth classified by MSHA under powered haulage. As of the same date in 2008, there were 15 total fatalities reported in coal.