Electrician Wilbert (Ray) Starcher, 60, was working at Massey Energy’s Pocahontas operation in Greenbrier County the morning of July 1 when he was run over by a shuttle car.

Investigators noted that the victim was observed leaving the connecting crosscut between the No. 1 and No. 2 entries, in the second crosscut outby the No. 2 face.

“The victim was walking toward the continuous mining machine operating in the No. 2 face on the No. 2 section. The continuous miner operator next saw the victim beneath and being dragged by the left side, standard shuttle car as it was leaving the continuous mining machine after being loaded with coal.”

Training records for the mine, operated by Massey arm White Buck Coal, were up to date and Starcher had received his required refresher training. The measured working height at the area of the incident ranged between 74 and 83 inches.

“The accident occurred because the left side shuttle car had an improper sideboard installed between the operator's deck and the bed of the shuttle car,” MSHA said in its report.

“The sideboard severely limited the field of vision of the shuttle car operator on the off-side of the car. Additionally, lack of communication between the victim and the shuttle car operator contributed to the accident.”

To rectify the equipment issues, crews replaced the solid metal sideboard with the original Joy shuttle car sideboard, which permits the unit’s operator to see above the frame.

Regarding a lack of communication, staff were trained that miners on foot must notify shuttle car or other equipment operators before traveling or working in a haulage road to ensure their location is known.

The room and pillar Pocahontas mine near Rupert, West Virginia, employs 74 underground coal miners and 11 surface personnel. Coal extraction is from the Pocahontas No. 6 bituminous coal seam at a typical rate of 3162 raw tons per day.

The mine’s non-fatal days lost injury incidence rate in 2009 was 7.49, versus the national NFDL rate of 4.04.