Question:
This one worked. BTW, be sure to note the profession pics of electrical
linesman, electrician, pilot, and then some fat hick with a bucket of fruit
and a pitchfork. Someone in editing apparently has a sense of humor. I own
neither a pitchfork nor a pair of bib overalls(with an apparently broken
strap), but I do have a bucket or two around.
Answer:
Funny, from the series on Discovery or wherever, I thought the crab
fishermen in the Bering Sea had the highest death rate of any industry.
I guess the pictures of raging seas and ships being lost without a trace
beat the scary trees falling on people who don't get out of the way
quickly enough.
"Mining" can be a pretty broad term when someone wants to make those "per
hundred thousand" studies appear a certain way. I am sure the mining *industry*
includes surface mining and all manner of preperation..
The actual JOB of "Miner" is more accurate. In a deep mine. Digging, augering,
shoveling, dragging or blasting coal at the face.
1)OSHA & UMW generated many safety measures and standards in the middle of
the last century . For example, miners universally use breathing filters.
Mining machines spray a fine mist of water on the face as work is done.
This is to reduce coal dust. Anything and everything is subject to some
sort of safety standard.
2) Technology has given better equipment, safety equipment, air circulation,
less labor intensive production (i.e. longwalls), and plotting and location
of desireable and mineable seams. BTW, using longwalls have greatly reduced
the need for the amount of roof bolting that is needed. I would guess that
roof bolters have one of the highest rates of fatality. In fact, a roof
bolter was killed last week in a separate incident.
3) Don't forget that much of mining production is now done by strip mining.
Fifty feet of overburden covering a 20 foot seam in Wyoming makes a miner a
hundred times as productive (tonnage produced per hour worked) as a WV miner
going a mile into/underground to mine a 30 inch seam. Some electric
dragline buckets are as big as a WV miners 2 bdrm house. Back in the 70's
we had a V-CON Dozer that had a 26' blade (IIRC).
4) First Aid, medical treatment, on site medical facilities and overall
miner first-aid awareness is light years ahead of yesteryear.
I suspect that mining injuries related to miners whose jobs include ore
transportation to the face, preparation plants, truck dumps, mechanic shops,
and freight loading facilities have been drastically reduced as they are
more efficient and effective. Remember, that these are also classified as
miner fatalities.
