Is mining dangerous?

According to professional sources in the Labor Statistics Office (BLS), mining for workers until 2001 was the only most dangerous industry for workers. With 23.5 deaths for every 100,000 workers, mining sites above industrial fishing, forestry and agriculture. Just because the number is, let's think about the building industry. Although many considered dangerous work, there are only 12.2 deaths per 100,000 building workers, approximately half of the number of reports reported in mining.

Since 2001, the number of deaths has been gradually decreasing. The US safety and health management Done (MSHA) now states that mining has declined significantly in the list of dangerous professions. Drivers taxi, roofers and pilots now place higher than mining. This change is mainly due to the efforts of industry in reducing the risk of explosion and improving air quality. Improvement of equipment and procedures has also changed. Overall, the degree of injuries reduced by almost half.

The number of deaths varies by country. In the USA to either remained stable or fallen, depending on the state. In other countries like China, the number of deaths is remarkably higher. In 2004, 28 people in US mining died; In China it was 6027. In fact, China is 80 percent of all deaths related to mining in the world.

Some of the main risk of mining is related to the explosion of gas and the collapse of the roof. While the risks are lower in modern times, they still exist. Faulty mining equipment, floods, explosions of dust and fire also cause a high number of incidents every year. In China, for example, there is a lack of safety regulations for many, not the majority of all mining accidents. Many mines work without a security card and employs inexperienced workers. In addition to external danger, mining also represents a number of health risks. Chronic lung diseases such as pneumoconiosis are less common than in the past, but still occur. Some of the gasNY, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen and sulfur, are common in mines and can lead to suffocation. Many of these gases are also explosive.