American Mines Close 2015 with Fewest Annual Fatalities
Washington, D.C. – 2015 was the safest year ever for American miners. Together, coal mines and metal/non-metal mines last year recorded the fewest fatalities in the history of American mining. Total mine fatalities were at the lowest number since 2009, the previous record year.
The official figures, issued recently by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), show 28 fatalities for all U.S. mining in 2015. U.S. minerals mining last year recorded 17 fatalities, while coal mining recorded 11 fatalities – the fewest ever for U.S. coal mines.
“We’re very gratified by this continued progress because it confirms the result of our commitment to make American mines the world’s safest,” said National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn. “The record confirms the value of our safety initiatives and our on-going determination to return every miner home safely after every shift.”
One such initiative that has been especially successful in driving safety progress is NMA’s own CORESafety® framework, which aims to eliminate fatalities and reduce injury by 50 percent in five years (0:50:5). CORESafety offers a management system approach to mine safety, offering not a “top-down-one-size-fits-all” model but an adaptable and organic framework for operations of all sizes.
For more information on NMA’s CORESafety program, visit our website at www.coresafety.org. For 2015 mine safety data, visit the Mine Safety and Health Administration website atwww.msha.gov.
###