So, when considering the vast reduction in underground mining, remember the country had enough of the deaths and injuries. The company wanted to make profit and investment into mechanization was also profitable, but, the reduction in underground mining jobs in the USA had a dual reason for the shrinking of the job pool. Profits as well as human beings lost and injured in the industry.
...Decades of Difficult but Impressive Progress (click here)
Total deaths in all types of U.S. mining, which had averaged 1,500 or more per year during earlier decades, decreased on average during the 1990s to under 100 per year, and reached historic lows of 35 total deaths in 2009 and 2012. The average annual injuries to miners in all segments of the mining industry have also decreased steadily.
While annual coal mining deaths numbered more than 1,000 a year in the early part of the 20th century, they decreased to an average of about 451 annual fatalities in the 1950s, and to 141 in the 1970s. From 2006-2010, the yearly average number of fatalities in coal mining decreased to 35. In 2009, there were 18 recorded coal mining deaths, a record low number. Sadly, coal mining fatalities dramatically increased to 48 in 2010, with the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine claiming 29 lives in addition to the 19 other coal miners killed that year. In 2011, 21 coal miners were killed in accidents. 2012 saw 19 coal miners killed in accidents.
The safety gains in metal and nonmetal mining have also been impressive. In the 1930s, an average of 233 miners died per year in the non-coal mining sector, compared to an average of 24 fatalities per year from 2006-2010. In 2009, mining fatalities in this sector reached a then-record low of 17. 2010 saw 23 metal and nonmetal miners killed in accidents. Record low fatalities of 16 in 2011 and 16 in 2012 show the continuing gains in metal and nonmetal mine safety....
This is an article from an insurance trade magazine. It discusses the current health and safety problem in underground mining. Just because Republicans like their hubris to make it through the day, doesn't mean there are aspects of our economy that does take issues seriously. There are and the insurance industry is one of them.
August 6, 2016
By Phillip Dozolme
Mining accidents (click here) occur in the process of mining metals or minerals. Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the process of coal mining and hard rock mining. Generally speaking, surface mining usually is less hazardous than underground mining.
Most of the deaths today occur in developing countries, especially China. China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, killing an average of 13 miners a day.
China accounted for the largest number of coal-mining fatalities, accounting for about 80% of the world’s total, although it produced only 35% of the world’s coal.
As a comparison, annual coal mining deaths numbered more than 1,000 a year in the early part of the 20th century in the U.S. They decreased to an average of about 450 annual fatalities in the 1950s and to 141 in the 1970s. The yearly average in coal mining decreased to 30 fatalities from 2001-2005. From 60 to 70 miners still die each year in the U.S. coal and non-coal mining industry....
