In the 35th US coal mining death this year, drill operator Jason Mosley, 28, was crushed by falling rock from a highwall he was working on at Hendrickson Equipment’s Smith Branch No. 1 mine July 18.

Mosley had 10 months of experience in the position but had a total of six years of mining experience. The material that struck him and his unit cab was 32 feet high by 19 feet wide by 7 feet thick.

MSHA said operators should adhere to the following best practices to avoid future similar accidents:

The operator compartment of a cab should be as far away from a highwall as possible, at least one-quarter of the wall’s height;

All highwalls should be closely and thoroughly examined for loose material and that material should be scaled;

Hill seams/open joints and other fracture plains should be considered with regards to their location and orientation. Any hazards should be avoided or removed;

Personnel should be comprehensively trained on the mine’s ground control plan; and

Blasting methods should maintain the highwall’s integrity.

The agency has asked that workers submit suggestions for prevention of such accidents in the future through its website: www.msha.gov. It promised submission authors would remain anonymous.

The fatality was the third of its kind in the US in 2006 classified under the agency's heading of Face/Rib/Highwall.