2012 Full-Year Fatality Summary
Preliminary data for 2012 show that 36 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines in 2012 - the second-lowest number of fatalities on record, one more than the 2009 historic low of 35. From January 1 to December 31, 2012, 19 coal miners and 17 metal/nonmetal miners died in work-related accidents.
Seven miners died in West Virginia, five in Kentucky, three each in New York and Alabama, two each in Montana and Florida, and one each in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia.
The leading cause of fatalities in the U.S. mining industry during 2012 was powered haulage, which claimed the lives of 10 miners. Other leading causes included machinery accidents, which killed six, slip or fall of person accidents, which also claimed six lives, and rib falls, which killed three miners.
From the Assistant Secretary's Desk Summary of 2012 Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2012 Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Press Release 2012 (End of Year) Fatality Update Letter to the Mining Community
3rd Quarter Summary of 2012 Fatal Accidents
From July 1 to September 30, 2012, six coal miners and five metal/nonmetal miners died in work-related accidents, for a total of eleven mining fatalities.
In the coal mining industry, one miner was killed as a result of a Machinery accident. Two miners were fatally injured as a result of Fall of Rib, Roof, Face or Back accidents. Three miners were killed in Powered Haulage accidents.
In the metal/nonmetal mining sector, two miners died as a result of Fall of Person accidents. One miner died in a Machinery accident. One miner lost his life due to a Falling Material accident and another miner was killed in a Powered Haulage accident. One (20%) of the fatalities involved a contract employee.
Below is information from the third quarter of 2012, along with best practices to help mining operations avoid fatalities like them, and for trainers to include in miner training.
From the Assistant Secretary's Desk Summary of 2012 (3rd Quarter) Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2012 (3rd Quarter) Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations 2012 (3rd Quarter) Fatality Update Letter to the Mining Community
Mid-year Summary of 2012 Fatal Accidents
During the first six months of 2012, 19 deaths occurred in work-related accidents in the nation's mining industry. Ten miners died in coal mining, and nine died in metal/nonmetal mining.
The ten coal mining deaths were in the following accident categories: three in Slip or Fall, two from Rib Fall, and one each in Exploding Vessels Under Pressure, Other (Drowning), Handling Materials, Machinery, and Electrical. An uncharacteristic trend identified was that five of these fatalities – three of them supervisors – occurred on five consecutive weekends. This is a particular warning flag for the mining industry.
The nine metal/nonmetal mining deaths were in the following accident categories: four in Powered Haulage accidents, two killed in Fall of Face/Rib/Highwall and one each killed in Machinery, Falling Material and Fall of Person accidents.
From the Assistant Secretary's Desk Summary of 2012 (Mid-year) Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2012 (Mid-year) Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations 2012 (Mid-year) Fatality Update Letter to the Mining Community
Summary of First Quarter 2012 Fatal Accidents
During the first quarter of 2012, 10 mining deaths occurred in work-related accidents. Six were in coal and four were in metal/nonmetal.
The six coal mining deaths were in each of the following accident categories: Exploding Vessels Under Pressure, Other (Drowning), Handling Materials, Rib Fall, Machinery, and Electrical. An uncharacteristic trend identified was that five of these fatalities – 3 of them supervisors – occurred on 5 consecutive weekends. This is a particular warning flag for the mining industry.
The four metal/nonmetal mining deaths were in the following accident categories: one in a Powered Haulage accident; two killed in Fall of Face/Rib/Highwall; and one in a Fall of Person accident.
From the Assistant Secretary's Desk Summary of 2012 (1st Quarter) Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2012 (1st Quarter) Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations 2012 (1st Quarter) Fatality Update Year End Stakeholder Letter
Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents
Thirty seven 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.
Even though the number of mining deaths in 2011 were the second-lowest on record, one mining death is still one too many. Each miner killed means a family, a community, and a workplace suffered an incalculable loss. We must work harder to prevent fatalities in mining workplaces in this country.
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.
From the Assistant Secretary's Desk Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines with Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines with Preventative Recommendations 2011 Fatality Update Year End Stakeholder Letter 2011 Fatality Year End Summary Instructor Letter 2011 Fatality Year End Summary Grantee Letter
Summary of 2011 (3rd Quarter) Fatal Accidents
The mining industry recently experienced four mining deaths within four days. In an effort to remind operators, miners, and contractors to stay focused on preventing fatalities and injuries, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is distributing best practice and preventative measure information in the form of a Safety Alert and a 2011 3rd quarter fatality update.
The Safety Alert is a poster that can be displayed in the mine to remind operators, miners, and contractors of the fatalities that occurred between Oct 28 -31, 2011. It lists actions to take to prevent these kinds of accidents.
The 3rd quarter fatality update analyzes the mining fatalities for the third quarter of 2011 and best practices to prevent them.
Fatalities are preventable. Mining workplaces can and must be made safe for miners, and operators must ensure that safety procedures are always followed. Many mines operate every shift of every day, year in and year out, without a fatality or a lost-time injury. It can be done. It requires focus, effort, and dedication.
Summary of 2011 3rd Quarter Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines with Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2011 3rd Quarter Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines with Preventative Recommendations Safety Alert Poster
Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents through June 30
Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents Through June 30 at Metal and Nonmetal Mines Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents Through June 30 at Coal Mines
Mid-year Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents
Between January 1 and June 30, 2011, 14 miners have lost their lives in mining accidents. Six miners were killed in accidents involving metal and nonmetal mines; eight miners lost their lives in coal mine accidents.
Even though the number of mining deaths for the first half of this year are at an all-time low, one mining death is still one too many.
To that end, detailed information analyzing these mining fatalities for the first half of 2011 and the best practices to prevent them is available through the links below.
Mid-year Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Mid-year Summary of 2011 Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations From the Assistant Secretary's Desk - 07/2011
Summary of 2010 Fatal Accidents
While 2010 will be remembered for the explosion that killed 29 men at the Upper Big Branch mine, we must remember that 42 additional miners' lives also ended in tragedy last year. We must honor these miners by increasing our efforts to ensure safe and healthy mining workplaces for our nation's miners.
In 2010, 19 coal miners in addition to the 29 who lost their lives at the Upper Big Branch mine were killed in mining accidents. Twenty-three miners in the metal and nonmetal mining industry also died in mining accidents – 45 percent were contractors. Not including the Upper Big Branch-related deaths, it appears that more than half of the 42 additional miners died in accidents involving violations of the Rules to Live By standards. In a look back over the past 10 years and excluding Upper Big Branch, these same types of fatal accidents have occurred. We must take the lessons to be learned by these fatal accidents and act on them to prevent additional fatalities.
Summary of 2010 Fatal Accidents at Coal Mines and Preventative Recommendations Summary of 2010 Fatal Accidents at Metal/Nonmetal Mines and Preventative Recommendations From the Assistant Secretary's Desk - 02/2011