Labor & Employment Law

Better Enforcement = Fewer Mine Deaths

By Mike Hall

Mining deaths fell to an all-time low last year, and two of the key reasons, says the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), are stronger enforcement of mine safety laws and the tougher mine safety rules passed in 2006 after a series of explosions, fires and other deadly incidents.

MSHA figures show 18 coal miners were killed on the job in 2009 and 16 workers in metal/nonmetal mines were killed?a drop from 2008’s total of 53 deaths. Says Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis:

No one should have to die for a job. Our nation’s miners, like all workers, deserve jobs that allow them to provide for themselves and their families. No job is truly good unless it is safe.

Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, says while the number of mine deaths were at a record low, they still “represent a tragic loss to the families and friends of the 34 victims.”

He says a key factor contributing to the record low number of deaths include enforcement of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and continued implementation of the MINER Act, enacted by Congress in 2006.

That’s quite a change from MSHA under the Bush administration. According to the Charleston Gazette, MSHA failed to issue more than 4,000 fines for recorded safety violations and Bush threatened to veto the MINER Act.

In 2009, MSHA assessed 173,000 civil penalties for violations of mine safety and health legal requirements. The dollar amount of assessed penalties totaled $140.7 million in 2009. Twenty-five flagrant violations were assessed at a total of $3.4 million.

Main emphasized that while the numbers indicate vast improvements in safety, much work remains to be done on the health side. Last month, MSHA launched a comprehensive program to end new cases of black lung among the nation’s coal miners. Black lung case are increasing and even younger miners are showing evidence of advanced and debilitating lung disease from excessive dust exposure.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).