Mining safety: The truth

With the Utah coal-mining disaster still commanding major media attention, much has been made of how dangerous the mining industry is as a place to work. Of course, it is never pointed out that the mining industry consists of very different segments, each of which have different safety records. The aggregates industry’s total case injury incident rate differs from the metal and the coal sectors of mining. According to MSHA statistics, compiled by NSSGA, the aggregates industry’s total case incident rate from 2002 until 2006 is 3.58, 3.54, 3.47, 3.41, and 3.12, respectively. The total case incident rate of the Metal/Non-Metal sector as a whole from 2002 until 2006 is 4.57, 4.35, 4.18, 4.17, and 3.73, respectively. By contrast, the coal sector’s total case incident rate from 2002 until 2006 is 6.62, 6.04, 5.56, 5.1, and 4.82, respectively. While even one fatality is unacceptable, the aggregates industry’s fatality rate is also better than the other mining sectors. From 2002 until 2006, the aggregates industry’s total fatalities were 27, 20, 21, 21, and 20, respectively. Metal/Non-Metal’s total fatalities from 2002 until 2006 were 42, 26, 27, 35, and 25, respectively. Coal’s fatalities from 2002 until 2006 were 27, 30, 28, 22, and 47, respectively. And the aggregates industry has never experienced an accident similar to the recent tragedies in the coal sector. This data supports that the aggregates industry is a much better performer when it comes to safety. Your comment?