Bulldozer operator James Woods, 61, who had 40 years of mining experience, was working at Alex Energy’s No. 1 surface complex in Nicholas County, West Virginia, on the afternoon of September 19 when he lost control of the unit he was operating at a reclamation site.

“The bulldozer rolled over four times coming to rest on its top,” MSHA said.

“The accident occurred as the result of the bulldozer operator failing to maintain control of the Caterpillar D6R II bulldozer on steep terrain consisting of loose dirt and rocks and a solid rock outcrop.”

The dozer came to rest about 180 feet below the outcrop, it added.

While he was taken immediately to receive medical care, Woods died in a local hospital a few weeks later on October 4, 2008, from the blunt force injuries he sustained.

“The accident occurred because the equipment operator was unaware of the slope conditions on which he was operating and failed to maintain full control of the equipment,” the agency concluded in its investigation.

To rectify the issues, the mine was ordered to train its staff and inspection managers on extreme conditions, including the recognition of the limitations of mining equipment.

According to federal data, the last regular health and safety inspection at the mine was completed that July.

The 230-worker Alex Energy No. 1 mine had a non-fatal days lost incidence rate for 2007 of 1.71, versus the national mine-type average of 4.71.