2009 was the safest year ever for American miners, according to official figures released this week by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Both coal mines and metal/non-metal mines recorded the fewest fatalities in the history of American mining in 2009. Total mine fatalities fell below the previous record set in 2008, and nearly 85% of all US mines completed the year with no lost-time injuries.
“We’re gratified by this achievement because it confirms that safety is a core value at US mines with the use of advances in technology, risk analysis, enhanced training and a heightened emphasis on safety awareness,” said National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn. “Our work, however, continues as we strive to reach our ultimate goal of zero injuries in America’s mines.”
The figures show 34 fatalities for all US mining in 2009, 18 fewer than 2008. The 18 coal mine fatalities recorded last year were the fewest ever for US coal mines, and the 16 fatalities in mineral mining in 2009 were also a record low for that sector.
US mining has invested more than $850 million over the last four years to improve mine safety and to implement the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act and the recommendations of the independent Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission, which was set up by NMA in 2006. During 2009, NMA launched a series of safety initiatives to reduce accidents by targeting three high-incident environments: proximity to mobile underground equipment, slips and falls and vehicle safety. Training and awareness materials developed by NMA and its members were widely distributed throughout operations in the US.
Industry observers also noted the sustained, decade-long trend in year-over-year reductions in the rate of lost-time injuries, i.e., reported injuries per 200,000 hours worked. “The steady decline in lost-time injuries that began in 2000 underscores that heightened vigilance, advances in safety technologies and new training techniques are paying important dividends,” Quinn concluded.
