Injuries in U.S. mining operations – A preliminary risk analysis

Despite significant reductions in mining injuries, incidence rates remain high compared to other industries. A systematic risk analysis was undertaken to thoroughly characterize injuries for the 10-year period from 1995 to 2004. Data were obtained from U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports. The categories: fatalities, non-fatal days-lost (NFDL) injuries, and no-days-lost (NDL) injuries have been analyzed, and a preliminary risk matrix produced. The results show decreasing injury frequency for all categories over the period examined. However, there still exists a “serious” level of risk for fatal and NFDL injuries, and a “moderate” level of risk for NDL injuries. These findings emphasize the need for continued efforts to reduce mining injuries and should be helpful in prioritizing control strategies. The results of this study represent a preliminary “global” risk analysis, and will therefore form the basis of subsequent more detailed studies.