COAL MINE FATALITY - On Thursday, July 21, 2011, at approximately 9:05 p.m., an office worker was killed at a surface coal operation when she was struck by a pickup driven by a 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. The vendor was accessing the mine for routine maintenance.

Maintain complete control over vehicles and equipment while in operation.

Stay alert for unexpected pedestrians when driving in rural areas.

Drive at speeds relative to changing light and conditions.

Walk in designated pedestrian areas or facing traffic.

Wear highly visible reflective clothing when walking on roadways.

Ensure there is no oncoming traffic when crossing roadways.

Post signs and appropriate speed limits in areas where pedestrians may be present.

	Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future. Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

This is the tenth fatality reported during calendar year 2011 in the coal mining industry. This is the fourth fatality classified as a Powered Haulage accident in 2011. Forty-one coal mine fatalities occurred in 2010 within the same period. Three Powered Haulage fatalities occurred during the same period in 2010.