|
 Printer-Friendly Version
MSHA News Release: [02/28/2002]
Contact Name: Rodney
Brown
MSHA’s “Focus on Safe Work” Promotes Mine Accident
Prevention
ARLINGTON, VA–The Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA) is conducting an intensive effort to reach coal
miners, gold miners, quarry workers and other mining industry employees
nationwide to personally provide information on mining hazards and ways to
prevent accidents on the job.
MSHA’s “Focus on Safe Work” initiative is sending
hundreds of MSHA inspection personnel, engineers, and training specialists out
to all coal and metal and nonmetal mining operations to speak with workers and
supervisors about fatalities that have occurred this year. MSHA personnel are
distributing materials on safe mining, which may also be accessed through
MSHA’s homepage at
under “Focus on Safe Work.”
“We’ve visited nearly 7,000 mine sites and spoken with nearly
70,000 miners since February 4 of this year,” said Dave Lauriski,
assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “Last year,
fatalities dropped after the agency conducted a similar effort, ‘Stand
Down for Safety,’ and we are hopeful that this reminder will help keep
this year’s increase from becoming a trend. We want every working miner to
go home to his family safe and injury-free every day.”
During visits to mine sites MSHA personnel are discussing the fatal
accidents that have occurred this year and sharing “best practices”
to help reduce such serious accidents at work sites. MSHA is focusing
discussions on three primary causes of mining accidents–roof falls,
electrocutions (due to failure to “lock out and tag out”) and powered
haulage. MSHA personnel are also customizing talks with miners to reflect on
hazards typically encountered at their mine site.
So far this year17 mining fatalities have occurred in the U.S. compared
with seven fatalities at the same time during 2001 and 11 fatal accidents
during the same period in 2000. A record-low 72 miners were victims of fatal
accidents on the job last year at U.S. mining operations.
A radio actuality is available on this press statement at
800-877-9002.
# # #
_________________________________________________________________
| 
