How Mining Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries

Mining is an age-old profession and thousands of workers across the country are engaged in the mining industry.

These workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), are at six times greater risk of suffering a serious workplace injury. In the mining industry, workers face serious threats right from the initial steps of creating the mine. With explosives, excavations and huge holes being drilled under the earth’s surface, these miners have to face the constant threat of injuries from cave-in’s, burns, amputations, and more.

Mining Safety Regulations

In the wake of such a hazardous work environment, the U.S. Department of Labor created the Mine Safety and Health Administration that protects the interests of a thousand miners across the country. The safety rules and regulations proposed and enforced by the MSHA are –

• Ensuring adequate and proper ventilation by creating vents and proper use of machinery.
• Installing gas monitors at regular intervals in tunnels and shafts.
• Ensuring proper protection with the use of tunnel supports, trench walls, etc.
• Ensuring proper formal training to all miners with regards to explosives and other mining equipment.
• Consulting regular inspection of equipment and machinery used in mining.

Mining Accidents

Despite the regulations set by the MSHA, the pursuit of time and monetary savings push workers in the mining industry at all levels to disregards safety measures, resulting in serious accidents. The most commonly found mining accidents are –

Cave-in and Rock falls

While digging tunnels, miners have to create strong supports for the walls and ceilings of the tunnels. If these supports are not correctly erected or maintained, they could cave in. Cave-in’s can result in serious injuries, as well as trap workers inside the mines, resulting in fatalities caused by dehydration, starvation or even emission of poisonous gasses.

Explosions

Dangerous explosives are used in the process of creating the mining tunnels. If these are not handled in a proper manner, the resulting explosion can cause devastating destruction, loss of life and damage to property.

Machinery

The machinery used in the mining industry is complicated and have the potential of causing serious injuries to machinery handlers.

Types of injuries

All these mining accidents can cause a variety of injuries. These are –

• Burns caused due to explosions
• Head and brain injuries due to falling debris, rocks and cave-ins.
• Lung related injuries and diseases caused due to inhalation of dust, toxic gasses, etc.

Apart from these, miners suffer from many other injuries like repetitive stress injuries due to digging, and musculo-skeletal injuries caused by lifting of heavy loads.