WorldWide Drilling Resource

59 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® OCTOBER 2014 Safety in the Mining Industry Continues to Improve Adapted from Information Provided by the U.S. Department of Labor The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released preliminary data for 2013, updating the Mine Safety and Health at a Glance page on its Web site. The page includes information on inspections; violations; number of mines and miners; as well as fatality and injury rates. According to the data, the 2013 over- all injury rate improved from the prior year to a historic low. Unfortunately, fatality rates increased due to a high number of deaths in the fourth quarter of 2013. Overall, mining fatality and injury rates have been on a downward trend since 2011, and 2013 had the lowest rates ever recorded. The number of deaths of mine con- tractors also dropped to a record low with a total of four fatalities, compared to five the previous year. For the third consecutive year, in- dustry compliance continued to improve. Inspectors issued 118,759 citations and orders in 2013, a 15% decline from the prior year. "MSHA has implemented a number of actions to improve compliance, and it shows," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "The mining deaths, however, par- ticularly in the fourth quarter of 2013, make clear that more needs done to protect our nation's miners." MSHA actions include: \ Special impact inspection initia- tive targeting troubled mines. \ Revised Pattern of Violations en- forcement program targeting chronic violators. \ Rules to Live By initiative designed to prevent common types of mining deaths. \ New examination rules requiring underground coal mines to "find and fix" hazards during mine examina- tions. \ Several stakeholder initiatives, such as improved guidance on equip- ment guarding and fall protection at metal and nonmetal mines, have also led to significant improvements. The total number of operating mines in 2013 decreased slightly from The first national mine safety demonstration in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 30, 1911. In 1912, there were 3293 mining deaths in the U.S., by 2012 the number was down to 36. 14,093 to 13,708, and the number of miners went from 387,878 to 374,069 accordingly. " ; # 511-,(2 0) 20'5&43 %9 4+(3( ,/( $/5)$&452(23 ; 08 029'0/ # ! : : $8 $,- 3$-(3 *,6(/3,/4(2/$4,0/$- &0. "(% ,4( 777 *,6(/3,/4(2/$4,0/$- &0.