While mining injuries were down last year, mining deaths increased – especially in the metal and nonmetal sector, according to preliminary data released this week by the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez got a taste of the coal miner’s life on Dec. 1, when he descended 1,000 feet below the earth’s surface for an underground tour of a Cumberland Coal Resources LP mine in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

The eight miners who died in accidents in U.S. mines from July 1 to Sept. 30 are “a harsh reminder of why mines must be vigilant in ensuring effective safety programs and fostering a culture of safety first,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main said.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) shows an uptick in mining fatalities during 2013 – despite an improvement in the overall injury rates for the mining industry.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is requesting data, comments and information about refuge alternatives for miners in underground coal mines.

Rox Coal Inc., which operates the Geronimo Mine in Somerset County, Pa., has been found in violation of a mandatory electrical hazard safety standard by an administrative law judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission. The ALJ deemed the violation “quintessentially flagrant” and ordered the company to pay a $110,000 civil penalty.