ISSUE DATE: 5/25/06 

PROGRAM INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. P06-10 

FROM: RAY McKINNEY

 Administrator for 

 Coal Mine Safety and Health 

SUBJECT: Hazards When Transporting Off-Track Equipment 

Who needs this information? 

Operators of surface and underground coal mines, independent contractors, miner’s 

representatives, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enforcement 

personnel, state mining agencies, mine equipment manufacturers, and other interested 

parties need this information. 

What is the purpose of this Program Information Bulletin? 

This Program Information Bulletin (PIB) informs the mining industry of best practices 

for reducing the hazards associated with transporting equipment within a coal mine 

and the established safety precautions that should be used when moving such 

equipment. 

What safety precautions are needed to reduce hazards when equipment is moved? 

The position of the equipment operator is critical when transporting heavy off-track 

equipment and longwall shields, or when operating equipment used to assist in loading 

such equipment onto a low-boy carrier, flatcar, dolly or skid prior to movement. The 

following best practices can prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities when loading and 

transporting equipment: 

• Plan and oversee work, emphasizing adherence to safe work practices, 

including safe work positions to avoid being struck by falls of equipment or 

recoil from breaking attachments; 

• Secure the load and make connections to prevent equipment from tipping or 

falling when attempting to pull equipment using chains or slings; 

• Regularly inspect slings or chains to ensure they are not damaged and are 

properly sized for the load and rigging arrangement; 

• Ensure that shields, equipment or other materials loaded for transporting do not 

project into roadways or beyond the side or end of the lowboy rail car, flatcar, 

dolly or skid; 
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• Place an empty supply car or an appropriate draw bar between the 

locomotives and the load; 

• Never transport equipment with the operator’s cab of a locomotive adjacent to 

the load; 

• Provide protective cabs, canopies, or vertical intrusion shielding on mobile 

equipment where clearance permits; 

• Use trip lights when a trailing locomotive is not used; 

• Always look in the direction of movement and exercise caution when 

approaching parked equipment; 

• Load capacities of materials hauled should be consistent with the capabilities of 

the equipment being operated. In making this determination, consideration 

should be given to the grades to be encountered; 

• Operate the haulage equipment at a safe speed as determined by the condition of 

the track haulage system and the haulage equipment; and 

• Engage both the automatic and manual braking systems when the locomotive is 

stopped for any reason. 

What is the background for this PIB? 

The transportation of heavy, off-track equipment has been a significant cause of fatal 

accidents in underground coal mines. Since 1995, there have been five fatal accidents 

and one permanently disabling, crushing or pinning accident associated with the 

positioning, loading and transporting of heavy off-track equipment and longwall 

shields. Two miners were fatally injured when the mobile equipment they were 

operating struck the tips of shields being stored or transported near mine portals on the 

surface. In May of 2005, a miner received permanently disabling injuries while 

unloading a longwall shield from an underground service elevator. The locomotive 

operator was attempting to pull a shield off the elevator when the shield slipped off the 

dollies and fell forward, striking the operator. 

More recently, on February 17, 2006, an underground miner was fatally injured when 

he was crushed between the frame on the operator end of the locomotive he was 

operating and the top of a longwall shield that was being transported on a low-boy 

carrier. Two other miners were fatally injured when they were struck by wire ropes 

that broke while being used to position or load equipment. These accidents could have 

been prevented by using the safe work practices recommended above. 

Who is the contact person for this bulletin? 

Coal Mine Safety and Health, Safety Division 

Robert L. Phillips, (202) 693-9532 

E-mail: Phillips-robert@dol.gov 
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What is MSHA’s authority for this PIB? 

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 CFR 75.1404-1. 

Is this information bulletin on the Internet? 

This information bulletin may be viewed on the World Wide Web by accessing the 

MSHA home page at www.msha.gov and choosing “Compliance Info” and “Program 

Information Bulletins.” 

Who will receive this bulletin? 

MSHA Program Policy Manual Holders 

Underground Mine Operators 

Mine Equipment Manufacturers 

Miners’ Representatives 

Special Interest Groups