Recently released data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) revealed that 37 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation’s mines in 2011. There were 21 coal mining and 16 metal/nonmetal mining fatalities last year, compared with 48 and 23, respectively, in 2010, making 2011 the year with the second-lowest number of mining deaths since statistics were first recorded in 1910.
Of the 37 fatalities reported, 12 occurred at surface coal mines, 11 at surface metal/nonmetal mines, nine at underground coal mines and five at underground metal/nonmetal mines. Nine workers died in accidents involving machinery — six in coal mines and three in metal/nonmetal mines — making it the leading cause of fatal mining accidents.
Kentuckyhad the most mining deaths (8) in 2011, followed byWest Virginia with six and Ohio with three. All but one of those deaths occurred in coal mines. Several of the larger coal-producing states; including Alabama, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Utah; experienced zero mine fatalities last year.
MSHA has undertaken a number of measures to prevent mining deaths: increased surveillance and strategic enforcement through impact inspections at mines with troubling compliance histories; enhanced pattern of violations actions; special initiatives such as “Rules to Live By,” which focuses attention on the most common causes of mining deaths; and outreach efforts such as “Safety Pro in a Box,” which provides guidance to the metal/nonmetal mining industry on best practices and compliance responsibilities.
Click here to see data on mining fatalities by state in 2011 and as far back as 2001.
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