U.S. mining fatalities remain at historical lows - MSHA

In mining, the smallest mistake could cost a miner his life. Nevertheless, MSHA records show U.S. mining health and safety track record has consistently improved in the past two years.

RENO, NV - 

Stronger federal and state enforcement, combined with tougher mining health and safety regulations, were credited with helping to drop U.S. mine fatalities to their lowest levels in a century.

Mining Health and Safety Administration records show 16 died in metal and non-metal mining accidents while 18 perished in coal mine-related accidents last year, for a combined 34 deaths easily surpassing 2008's lowest-ever record of 52 mining fatalities.

The largest number of metal and non-metal mining fatalities last year occurred in powered haulage with four fatalities at surface mines and one death reported underground. Machinery-related accidents caused four deaths in surface mines last year.

Coal companies also reported their lowest ever number of fatalities with 18 deaths occurring last year. For the second consecutive year no major coal mine disasters occurred in the United States. The steep decline in fatalities comes in the wake of the Sago Mine disaster in 2006, which killed 12 men in 2006 and the deaths of six men in the collapse of the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah in 2007. Three would-be rescuers also perished at Crandall Canyon.

The two disasters, combined with 73 miners killed in 2006 and 67 miners perishing in 2007, evoked a national outrage at the lack of adequate enforcement in mine health and safety at U.S. coal mines. The outrage prompted Congress and the Bush Administration to finally allot sufficient funding to step up mining inspections and follow up.

Coal mining states also toughened their mine health and safety laws and stepped up enforcement. For instance, the Associated Press reported last month the state of Kentucky has tripled the number of mine inspections. Nevertheless, Kentucky still lead the nation in mining fatalities in 2009 with seven deaths. This is a drop from the nine mining-related fatalities reported in the state in 2008.

The Sago incident resulted in congressional enactment of the Mine Improvement and Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006, while the Crandall fatalities prompted reform within MSHA itself.

With a total of 34 mine fatalities reported last year, the U.S. has come a long way since 3,242 deaths were reported in 1907, considered the deadliest year since coal-mining fatality records were kept. The worst accident in U.S. mining history, the Monongah Mine Disaster in West Virginia, involved a methane gas explosion which killed 362 men and boys.

MSHA records show the next highest number of mine fatalities reported last year were in Alabama and West Virginia with three deaths each, followed by Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas with two fatalities each. Nevada and Arizona hardrock mines reported a single mine fatality each last year. Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington and Wyoming mines recorded no fatalities in 2009.

In a letter celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act on December 30, 2009, new MSHA Administrator Joe Main wrote, "Far too many miners have died. Too many are still dying. But progress has been made."

"We will carry forward our determination to end fatalities, injuries, and occupational illness in our nation's mines," Main vowed, noting the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act was enacted in the wake of the Farmington, West Virginia coal disaster, which took the lives of 78 miners.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Steve Earle, United Mine Workers of America international vice president for the Midwest, said the key to safety improvements was getting inspectors into the field.

"The more we can put our inspectors in the mines, the safer those mines will become and the closer we will come to zero fatalities," he said.

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Mining Accidents and ESH budgets As the recognized leader in mining ESH practices, the US could, in a manner similar to airline accidents, ensure mine accidents investigations and judgements are distributed across mining regulatory institutions around the world so similar . .more accidents and fatalities may be avoided elsewhere. This is important since mining equipment and services are exported from US to other countries. Third world resouce-rich nations that have become the focus of mining investments over the past few decades oftentimes lack the institutional and regulatory oversight that characterize US mining and the political will to contain ESH mining accidents. The other comment concerns monitoring jurisdiction and 'regulatory zeal'. Though overlapping jurisdictions has perhaps been anticipated and resolved, variations in regulatory zeal in monitoring and enforcing ESH regulations likely vary across states, and over time with change in political and administrative leadership. A change in government brings about different budget priorities and budgetary allocations which then further manifests in subtle shifts in regulatory zeal that are quickly noticed by mining corporates and exploited, sometimes at the cost of miners' health and safety. If ESH is indeed a priority in mining, ESH budgets should not be a 'discretionary' item on federal or state budgets. . .less by Prasad Rao on January 04 2010, 22:35 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Open cast Mine accident Comendeble achievements by US Coal Industry. Can I Get the break up Open cast mine accidents yearwise. by bhartendu kumar on January 07 2010, 08:17 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Open cast Mine accident Comendeble achievements by US Coal Industry. Can I Get the break up Open cast mine accidents yearwise. My email addres is bhartendu100@rediffmail.com by bhartendu kumar by bhartendu kumar on January 07 2010, 08:18 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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