Worker Health Chartbook 2004

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1		Figure 4-3 Number of full-time equivalent workers at surface work locations by type of employer, 1992 and 2002. From 1992 to 2002, overall employment at surface mining work locations decreased by 8.5%, from 237,300 to 217,000. At surface locations, the number of metal operator workers decreased 44%, the number of coal operator workers decreased 28%, and the number of nonmetal operator workers decreased 21%. The number employed at surface operations increased for stone operator workers, sand and gravel operator workers, and independent contractor workers. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
2		Figure 4-4 Number of full-time equivalent workers at underground work locations by type of employer, 1992 and 2002. From 1992 to 2002, the number of full-time equivalent workers at underground locations declined by 34% (from 69,300 to 46,000). The number of workers in coal operations declined 38% but still accounted for 77% of underground employment during this period. The number of metal and nonmetal operator workers also declined, whereas the number increased for stone operator workers and metal/nonmetal-independent contractor workers. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
3		Figure 4-5 Number and average annual rate of fatal occupational injuries in coal and metal/nonmetal mining for each 5-year period during 1966-2000, including factors affecting reductions in these injuries. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 was passed soon after 78 coal miners died in 1968 during an underground explosion in the Consol No. 9 Mine at Farmington, West Virginia. Numbers and rates of fatal injuries in coal mining declined steadily after passage of the 1969 Act. During the most recent 5-year period (1996-2000), the fatal injury rate for coal mining was at its lowest-33 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (which included metal/nonmetal mining) was passed a few years after 91 miners lost their lives in a 1972 underground mine fire at the Sunshine Silver Mine. The fatal occupational injury rate for metal/nonmetal mining declined to its lowest rate (25.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) in 1991-1995. During 1996-2000, this rate increased to 27.1 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Safety and health legislation has been an important factor in reducing fatal occupational injury rates over the past three decades. However, other critical factors include improvements in mining technology such as roof bolting to prevent roof cave-ins, dust suppression and ventilation techniques, and use of noncombustible materials to prevent explosions and fires. Despite large declines in the numbers and rates of fatal injuries to miners, mining continues to be one of the most hazardous occupations. (Sources: MSHA [2002]; NIOSH [2003a].)
4		Figure 4-6 Rates of fatal mining injuries by type of employer and commodity, 1993-1997 and 1998-2002. For these two periods, the 5-year average rate of fatal mining injuries declined from 30.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers (1993-1997) to 27.7 (1998-2002). Most of this decline was due to decreases in the rates of fatal mining injuries among independent contractor workers, stone operator workers, and nonmetal operator workers. Increased rates occurred among sand and gravel operator workers and metal operator workers. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
5		Figure 4-9 Rate of lost-workday injuries for surface mining operations by type of employer and commodity, 1993-2002. From 1993 to 2002, the rate of lost-workday injuries declined overall for operator workers in all commodities and for metal/nonmetal-independent contractor workers. Throughout this 10-year period, the highest rates of lost-workday injuries were consistently observed for stone operator workers. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
6		Figure 4-10 Rate of lost-workday injuries for underground mining operations by type of employer and commodity, 1993-2002. During 1993-2002, underground coal operator workers and underground coal-independent contractor workers consistently had the highest rates of lost-workday injuries. Although marked by slight increases and decreases during this 10-year period, lost-workday injury rates for underground nonmetal operator workers and underground stone operator workers have remained relatively constant. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
7		Figure 4-12 Distribution of lost-workday injuries by age of worker and type of employer and commodity, 2002. The proportion of injured workers above age 44 at the time of injury was highest among coal and metal operator workers and lowest among coal-independent contractor workers. Conversely, the proportion of injured workers under age 25 was highest among coal-independent contractor workers, sand and gravel operator workers, and stone operator workers. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
8		Figure 4-13 Number of lost-workday injuries by sex of worker and type of employer and commodity, 2002. In 2002, only 2% (190) of all nonfatally injured mine workers were female, whereas 14.6% of the entire mining workforce was female (Chapter 1, Table 1-4). The highest proportion of female workers with lost-workday injuries was reported by metal operators (6%), and the lowest proportion was reported by metal/nonmetal-independent contractors (1%) and coal operators (2%). (Note: Percentages shown within the bars represent the proportion of male workers with lost-workday injuries.) (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
9		Figure 4-15 Distribution of lost-workday injuries among miners by type of employer and commodity and years of total mining experience, 2002. In 2002, the proportion of workers with lost-workday injuries was highest among coal operator workers with more than 5 years of experience, and lowest among coal operator workers with less than 1 year of experience. Of the mine workers with less than 1 year of mining experience, independent contractor workers had the highest proportions of lost-workday injuries. These differences must be interpreted with caution, since years of mining experience were not reported for 10% of cases. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)
10		Figure 4-17 Number of injury and illness cases in coal mines by years of total mining experience for 1991-1995 and 1996-2000: (A) mine operator cases, and (B) independent contractor cases. Coal mining showed a distinctly different pattern from metal/nonmetal mining for 1991-2000. Mine operators reported increasing numbers of cases with increasing years of mining experience up until 20-24.9 years. As with metal/nonmetal mining, a dramatic drop in overall case count occurred for coal miners between the early and late 1990s. The shift in the experience group with the highest case count may reflect the aging of the mining workforce. The role of experience among independent contractor workers was similar but more pronounced for new miners. Note that case counts alone may be misleading. Incidence rates (cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers) may show different patterns, but they could not be developed because employment by years of experience was not available. (Sources: MSHA [2002]; NIOSH [2003b].)
11		Table 4-1 Number and 5-year average rate of fatal mining injuries by type of employer and commodity at various work locations, 1998-2002. Underground mines posed the greatest risk of fatal injury to mine workers during 1998-2002. At these mines, the highest fatal injury rates were among metal mine operator workers and all independent contractor workers. At surface locations, the highest fatal injury rate was at the dredge. All 11 fatalities at the dredge occurred at sand and gravel mines. Within each commodity, fatal injury rates were highest for independent contractor workers at two metal/nonmetal surface locations: strip/open pit/quarry and mills. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003].)
12		Table 4-2 Number and 5-year average rate of lost-workday injuries by type of employer and commodity at various work locations, 1998-2002. During 1998-2002, both the highest numbers and rates of lost-workday injuries occurred in the underground work areas of underground mines. Within underground work areas, the highest rates were observed for coal mine operator and coal mine contractor workers, who together accounted for 88% (17,260) of all the lost-workday injuries in underground work areas. Within surface locations, the highest injury rates were in stone and nonmetal dredge locations. High numbers and rates of injuries were also experienced by stone mine operator workers at both surface production areas and processing (mill) work areas. (Sources: MSHA [2003]; NIOSH [2003a].)

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