VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – The US federal government has declared fiscal year (FY) 2016 the 12 months that saw the fewest number of mining deaths in recorded history.

According to a US Department of Labour Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) report, published Tuesday, the record low 24 deaths, which occurred from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016, at the more than 13 000 US mines, is the lowest total since the 34 deaths registered in FY2013.

According to information from the MSHA, FY2015 saw 38 mining deaths.

Mining deaths dropped 30% from the 2013 level. Assistant Secretary of Labour for Mine Safety and Health Joseph Main attributed the historic safe period to increased cooperation between the MSHA and the mining community.

“The extensive efforts by the MSHA and the mining community that held metal and nonmetal mining deaths to three during a seven-month period were instrumental in driving these numbers,” Main stated at the yearly Training Resources Applied to Mining conference, in West Virginia.

Main cautioned against complacency, noting that four fatal mining accidents occurred in September.

“We are eroding the gains we have made on behalf of our nation’s miners. Eliminating mining deaths and reducing injuries and illnesses is a goal that must be shared by all of us. We can [achieve] – and must strive to reach – zero mining deaths,” he said.

The MSHA stated that it would ramp up enforcement, outreach and compliance assistance actions.

“The safety and health of our nation’s mining workforce is paramount to the SME [Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration], and we are pleased to see the industry’s progress in achieving the goal of zero fatalities and a 50% reduction in the rate of injuries by 2020,” stated SME executive director David Kanagy.

DUST CONTROL
Further, Main noted that efforts to lower levels of respirable coal mine dust and silica in US coal mines remained on track. According to the MSHA, since the 2009 launch of the ‘End Black Lung – Act Now’ campaign, average respirable dust levels have decreased yearly.

Dust sampling results for FY2016, collected under the respirable coal dust rule that went into effect in August 2014, dropped to historic lows. During this period, the yearly average respirable dust samples collected by MSHA from the dustiest occupations in underground coal mines, fell to 0.64 mg/m³, down from the FY2015 average of 0.7 mg/m³. 

Mine operators and MSHA personnel have collected nearly 154 000 respirable dust samples under the new rule, and 99.3% of those samples met compliance levels.

According to the MSHA, operator sampling with continuous personal dust monitors (CPDM), which began in April, also showed positive results. From April 1, 2014, through July 31, 2016, mine operators collected nearly 40 000 valid CPDM samples, with 99.8% in compliance.