The mining industry in the US reported its fewest ever fatalities in 2019, recording deaths below 30 for only the fifth time in the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA’s) 43-year history.

Twenty-four people lost their lives in mine accidents last year. There were four deaths each in Kentucky and West Virginia, two each in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas and one each in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Vermont.

“The low number of mining deaths last year demonstrates that mine operators have become more proactive in eliminating safety hazards. But I believe we can do even better,” Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, David Zatezalo, said recently.

“A disproportionate number of mining deaths involved contractors, and we saw an uptick in electrocution accidents, with three deaths and another two close calls. In response, the Mine Safety and Health Administration launched a targeted compliance assistance effort, visiting thousands of mines to educate miners, operators and contractors on procedures that could prevent accidents like these.”

After a two-year increase in 2017 and 2018, when about half of all deaths resulted from vehicle-on-vehicle collisions, failure to use a functioning seat belt and conveyor belt accidents, MSHA responded with a multifaceted education campaign and initiated rulemaking.

In 2019, the percentage of deaths caused by powered haulage accidents dropped to about 25% of all mining deaths.

Further, MSHA collected 147 500 samples from coal and metal/nonmetal mines in 2019, a record high. The data revealed an all-time low for average concentrations of respirable dust and respirable quartz in underground coal mines, and the exposure to dust and quartz for miners at the highest risk of overexposure hit all-time lows as well.

Metal/nonmetal mines achieved the second lowest average respirable dust and quartz concentrations since 2009.

Metal/nonmetal mines also achieved the second lowest average elemental carbon concentration and average total concentration since 2009.

About 250 000 miners work in around 12 000 metal/nonmetal mines in the US, while about 83 000 work in around 1 000 coal mines. In 2019, MSHA conducted 37 471 inspections at nearly 13 000 mines employing 330 000 miners, which resulted in 99 663 citations and orders.

MSHA inspected all underground mines at least four times in 2019, and it inspected surface mines and facilities at least twice, as required by law.