Continuous mining machine operator James Erwin, 55, was working at Massey’s Ruby Energy mine May 10 when he was struck by a shuttle car and pinned between the car and the rib. He was positioned on the outside turn radius of the loaded unit at the time.

“While the shuttle car was leaving the No. 7 entry on the MMU 008-0 after the last car in the place was loaded, the victim was caught between the shuttle car and the coal rib,” a US Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesperson told ILN shortly after the incident.

Erwin, a 37-year mining veteran, died from his injuries on May 21 while hospitalized. He had worked at the mine, operated by Massey Energy subsidiary Spartan Mining.

In hopes of preventing future similar incidents at other US operations, MSHA distributed a collection of best practices. They include:

• Make a visual check to ensure all persons are in the clear, and sound the warning device before mobile equipment is trammed, especially in areas where visibility is limited;
• Ensure good communication between continuous mining machine operators and shuttle car operators so that each is aware of each other's movements;
• Wear reflective clothing to aid visibility when working around mobile equipment; and
• Use approved translucent curtains made to allow mobile equipment to tram through.

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

Erwin’s death was the 36th fatality in coal mining in 2010, and the 31st in West Virginia. It was the first for the nation to be classified by MSHA under Powered Haulage.

Ruby Energy, a bituminous underground mine in Mingo County, is staffed by 84 total workers. Federal officials confirmed last month that 32 of those workers were underground at the time of the incident.

According to MSHA records, the mine had an overall rate of 4.04 non-fatal days lost operator injuries in 2009, based on 206,504 man hours worked and production of just over 459,000 tons.

The last fatal operator injury recorded at Ruby Energy was in 2004.