The mining industry in the United States just finished its safest year ever in 2009. Mine fatalities and lost-time injuries were down from the previous year, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Mining companies and their employees are justifiably proud of that record. And federal and state regulators should likewise be proud. So, how did the U.S. mining industry become the safest in the world? An increased awareness of safety issues in the mines is one reason. Another, of equal importance, is decades of research that has led to safer equipment and mining technologies.
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