Mining Fatalities: Still On The Rise In 2015

The recent upward trend in mining fatalities looks, unfortunately, to still be on the rise. Last year, we blogged about a Department of Labor (Mine Safety and Health Administration) report that showed an increase in mining death between 2012 and 2013.

The numbers for 2014 are in, and they show that mining-related deaths held steady at 2013’s higher rate. 2015 looks to be even deadlier, as there have already been four fatalities this year; at that rate, 2015 is on pace to have 20% more mining deaths than 2014.

This information should be especially concerning for those in the mining industry in Pennsylvania. Since 2004, Pennsylvania has the third most mining fatalities (27), trailing only West Virginia (120) and Kentucky (82).

This post, added to our blog in January of 2014, discusses the increasing fatality rate for miners.

For more on coal-related workplace illnesses and injuries, view our article on Black Lung benefits legislation and our blog post on the 2010 Clairton Coke Works explosion.