The Importance of Health and Safety Management in Mining

mining is among the safest industries in the United States as reflected by comparable industry fatality and injury rates (National Safety Council [NSC] 1998). These improvements are the result of a number of factors, including  

Although these improvements are laudable, miners in the United States and abroad continue to 

For example, in 1998 an employee with more than 20 years of experience with a large mining company known for its strong health and safety culture suffered a bilateral amputation of the hands. This incident involved work deemed to be safe, and the job had been done without incident for many years. The pain and suffering of the worker, his team members and family, and the community in which he lives continues to be felt. The man and his family must manage the lifelong consequences, including quality-of-life issues and the ability to provide financially for his family. 

C 2001 by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, All rights reserved. Electronic edition published 2009, 

Unfortunately, similar scenarios have occurred in many industries, affecting the lives of thousands of people and costing companies biUions of dollars in lost revenue and other costs. In the United States in 1997 alone, more than 5,000 people lost their Uves in work-related incidents and more than 3.8 million suffered disabling injuries. In that same year, workplace injuries and illnesses resulted in a direct cost to U.S. industry of nearly 128 bilUon, with estimated total costs—direct and indirect—of a staggering 600 bilhon (NSC 1999). 

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