Mining fatalities down significantly to start 2024

Mining fatalities are trending down early this year based on the fatality reports the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) publishes online, with the total currently standing at three.

According to MSHA, no industry fatalities happened in February following a January that included two miner deaths. One miner died March 1, however, with the agency characterizing the accident as involving machinery.

Based on MSHA’s preliminary report of the March 1 accident, miners were removing bolts to uncouple two joints of steel pipe when a joint of pipe broke free and struck one of the miners. The accident occurred at a phosphate mine in Florida.

Fortunately, fatal mining accidents are down significantly through the first two and a half months of 2024. Although MSHA has published details of three fatal 2024 accidents, the agency reported 11 fatal accidents had occurred through the same two-and-a-half-month period of 2023.

Three miners were killed in accidents last year between March 15 and March 22, meaning 14 miners died in accidents in the first quarter of 2023.

In all, 40 miners died in accidents last year – the most in a single year since 2014.

Related: Detailing MSHA’s recent mobile equipment rule