Released Tuesday, October 20, 1998

Safety Seminars to be Held in Six States MSHA Launches Safety Initiative to Address Independent Contractor Fatalities

Speaking before a gathering of mine operators, independent contractors, and other industry representatives at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley, W.Va., today, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Davitt McAteer announced the onset of a multi-faceted initiative aimed at reducing the high number of independent contractor fatalities occurring at mining operations nationwide. Records show that 181 independent contractor employees have been killed, since 1990, while performing work on mine property.

Of those 181 deaths, fifty percent have occurred in the State of West Virginia.

"These numbers make it clear why we launch this initiative and begin our series of safety seminars for independent contractors today here in Beckley, West Virginia," said McAteer, head of the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). "Today's mining industry employs more independent contractors at U.S. mining operations than ever before. There are important roles that we all must play--independent contractors, mine operators, miners, as well as MSHA--in reducing the number of fatalities among independent contractor employees at mining sites."

Use of independent contractors has more than doubled since 1983 when employment of contractors to perform work at mining operations numbered approximately 11,000. That year, six percent of coal miner workers were employed by independent contractors and accounted for four percent of the 70 coal mining deaths that year. Over the next ten years, contractor employment reached more than 27,000, and by 1993, contractor employees accounted for 28 percent of the 47 coal mining deaths recorded in that year.

McAteer announced, "Beginning today MSHA will host a series of safety seminars for independent contractors over the next seven weeks around the nation. These seminars will provide opportunities for mine operators, independent contractors, and other interested parties to share ideas and develop practices to improve safety and health for contractor employees and miners alike."

The agency has scheduled seminars on independent contractor safety for Prestonburg, Ky., on Oct. 21; Beckley, W.Va., (Southwest Community College) on Oct. 22; Pineville, Ky., on Oct. 27; Henderson, Ky., on Oct. 28; Benton, Ill., on Oct. 29; Fairmont, W.Va., on Nov. 3; Greensburg, Pa., on Nov. 4; Pottsville, Pa., on Nov. 5; Sumiton, Ala., on Dec. 1; and Gillette, Wyo., on Dec. 3.

In addition to the seminars, MSHA will also distribute instructional and training materials intended to educate independent contractor employees about the hazards they may face when entering a mine site. Also, MSHA personnel will work closely with contractors to identify training needs and will provide assistance in developing training programs to ensure contractor employees receive training that is relevant to mining hazards they may encounter. The agency will also distribute posters, hard hat stickers, dashboard checklists, and "best practices" pocket cards that will inform and remind workers of potential hazards and how to avoid them.

"We urge mine operators to distribute and discuss these materials with all contractors who perform work on their property," continued McAteer.

McAteer called upon mine operators to be certain that independent contractor employees are fully informed that they are required to follow certain safety standards while on mine property. He also asked that operators be sure to provide contractors with required site-specific hazard training when they enter mine property.

McAteer concluded, "we will need the cooperation and assistance of each and every one of you here today as well as all others within the mining community to overcome this problem. We must make independent contractors aware and we must act to remove hazards that hurt contractor employees and operator employees alike. I ask for your assistance in protecting these workers."