The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has launched a new outreach and enforcement program designed to strengthen efforts to prevent mining fatalities.
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“While the mining community marked a record-low number of mining deaths last year and has seen a significant decline in fatal mining accidents during the past 10 years, too many miners still lose their lives in preventable accidents,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. “MSHA and its stakeholders must remain committed to working together toward the ultimate goal of zero mining fatalities.”
Over the past several months, MSHA conducted an analysis of the 589 mining fatalities occurring from 2000 to 2008. The analysis identified the most common conditions and practices contributing to mining deaths, as well as the most common violations of safety standards and root causes associated with these fatal accidents.
As a result of the analysis, the agency identified 11 coal and 13 metal/nonmetal safety and health standards frequently cited in fatal accident investigations and grouped them into nine accident categories:
As a result of the analysis, the agency identified 11 coal and 13 metal/nonmetal safety and health standards frequently cited in fatal accident investigations and grouped them into nine accident categories:
falls from elevation
falls of roof and rib
operating mobile equipment (surface and underground)
maintenance
lock and tag out
blocking against motion
truck-by mobile equipment (surface and underground).
During the nine-year period, the highest number of coal mine fatalities occurred in West Virginia (94), followed by Kentucky (78). The highest number of metal/nonmetal mine fatalities occurred in Nevada (26), followed by Texas (21).
The fatality prevention initiative rolls out in two phases: industry outreach and focused inspections.
During the first phase, MSHA will disseminate information detailing the causes of the targeted fatal accidents to every mine operator, labor organization and state training grantee, as well as other stakeholders.
MSHA’s web site will provide compliance assistance materials such as engineering suggestions, packages of safety target materials and other information to ensure mine operators and miners have the necessary resources to address and eliminate workplace hazards. (workersxzcompxzkit)
In mid-March, MSHA will begin focused inspections by paying special attention to violations of the 24 standards and reminding mine inspectors to carefully evaluate gravity and negligence — consistent with the seriousness of the violation — when citing violations of the standards found to cause or contribute to mining fatalities. All mine inspectors will receive online training on inspector laptop applications specific to the initiative, enforcement summaries and inspector tip sheets.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers’ Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: [email protected] or 860-553-6604.
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