Published: September 2, 2016 |

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On Monday, the Mine Safety and Health Administration issued a call to safety for coal miners.

West Virginia leads the nation in non-fatal mine accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Since October 2015, eight people have died and more than 1,100 have been injured across the nation. The injuries have resulted in restricted duty, missed days at work and in some cases, permanent disabilities for miners.

In at least 30 cases, the injuries could have resulted in fatalities.

Monday’s call to safety includes visits by inspectors that will engage coal miners and mine operators. They will go through “walk and talks” through the end of September. The visits are intended to increase miners’ awareness of recent accidents and encourage the application of safety training and raise hazard recognition, according to Joseph A. Main, the assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

The most common injuries include those to the back, shoulders, knees and fingers. 250 of the deaths occurred at surface operations.

West Virginia saw the most non-fatal mining accidents with 419. Kentucky followed with 191, while Pennsylvania saw 130.

States with the least non-fatal mining accidents include Alaska with one and Tennessee and Louisiana with two each.

Source: (August 30, 2016) TriState Update

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