Safety & Health

By any measure, the U.S. mining industry has made significant advances in protecting the health and safety of its skilled and highly trained workforce. This improvement, documented statistically from multiple independent sources, has been sustained, dramatic and long-term, and is the result of seven key trends:

• A commitment by management, employees and regulators to a goal of zero fatalities and injuries;
• Better equipment design;
• Technological advances;
• Improved engineering methods;
• Advanced and continuous training;
• Integration of safety management process systems;
• Strong oversight and assistance from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

As reflected in one company's motto – “Safety First: Production Will Follow” – the industry has made safety and health a core value. This value is integrated into all aspects of company operations from top to bottom, and evident in communications and procedures at the workplace. Recognizing that even one serious accident is too many, the mining industry is headed in a positive direction toward achieving the ultimate goal of zero fatalities and injuries in the 21st century.

Overall U.S. Mine Safety and Health, 1990-2003
Category	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003*
No. of Mines	16,158	13,859	14,413	14,623	14,520	14,346
No. of Miners	404,315	361,647	348,548	347,228	329,114	319,241
Fatalities	112	100	85	72	69	56
Fatal Injury Rate	.0329	.0303	.0272	.0232	.0237	.0198
All Injury Rate	8.36	6.30	5.13	4.75	4.60	4.18
Source: Mine Safety and Health Administration. Includes stone, sand and gravel; *=preliminary
"When safety is a value, you strive for absolute perfection, set your goals at zero injuries and manage accordingly." Alan C. McMillan, President, National Safety Council BLS Estimates of Nonfatal Occupational Injury and Illness Rates by Industry Division, 2000-2001
According to the most recent National Safety Council data, minings 2001 occupational injury and illness rate of 4.0 cases per 100 full time workers in 2001 ranked it next to the lowest I.R. among major industries.
Industry					Total Cases
					2000	2001
Manufacturing					9.0	8.1
Construction					8.3	7.9
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing					7.1	7.3
Transportation & Public Utilities					6.9	6.9
Wholesale & Retail Trade					5.9	5.6
Services					4.9	4.6
MINING					4.7	4.0
Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate					1.9	1.8
Private Sector Average					6.1	5.7

Source: National Safety Council, “Injury Facts,” 2003 edition, page 61