Historically, December has been a particularly tragic month in U.S. coal mining.
Considered the worst mining accident ever, explosions at West Virginia’s Monongah Nos. 6 and 8 in 1906 claimed 362 lives.
Cities and towns beset by natural disasters or catastrophic events immediately turn to their community’s first responders to coordinate and execute rescue and recovery efforts.
The practice is no different when a calamity occurs in an underground mine.
Miners need to know that when it comes to mine rescue and response in our nation, we’ve got your back. As part of our efforts to improve mine rescue capabilities throughout the U.S., the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has opened a new mine rescue station in Madisonville, Kentucky, to serve mining operations in the Midwest in the event of a mine emergency.
In 2013, 42 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines, an increase of six over last year. Of those fatalities, 20 were in coal mining and 22 were in metal/nonmetal mining, compared with 20 and 16, respectively, in 2012.