Eleven miners died in accidents in both coal mining and metal and nonmetal mining during the first quarter of this year, according to MSHA. Three of the 11 fatal accidents occurred in metal and nonmetal mines.
One metal/nonmetal miner died as a result of a highway fall; another was killed in a machinery accident; and the third died in an explosives and breaking-agents accident. MSHA reports that coal six miners were killed in less than a month’s span this year, including four in West Virginia.
“While we have made progress, it is clear there is more to be done,” writes Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for MSHA, in his first quarter fatality analysis. “In order to prevent mine deaths, operators must have in place effective safety and health management programs that are constantly evaluated, find-and-fix programs to identify and eliminate mine hazards, and training for all mining personnel.”
