Keeping Coal Miners Safe in West Virginia

Last month, we lost another West Virginia coal miner.
Though his home was in South Williamson, Kentucky, Gary Chapman did his work at the Mountaineer II Mine near Sharples, W.Va.
He is the fourth coal miner to have died on the job in West Virginia just this year.
That is half the national total for coal mine deaths so far this year.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, on May 16, in Wyoming County, the classification for the fatal accident was “machinery;” on July 12, in Wyoming County, the classification for the fatal accident was “powered haulage;” on Aug. 5, in Taylor County, the classification for the fatal accident was “powered haulage;” and the Sept. 6 fatal accident in Logan County is classified as “fall of roof or back.”
Two of the four fatal accidents in the Mountain State this year were in mines controlled by Arch Resources Inc. (including the most recent one). An Arch Resources Inc. coal mine in Gunnison, Colo., also had a “powered haulage” fatality Aug. 11. Of course, parent companies depend on local companies to run their mines. For example, Mountaineer II is listed as being owned by Mingo Logan Coal LLC. The Leer Mine in Taylor County is listed by MSHA as being run by ACI Tygart Valley. So, there is a multi-layered name game involved, too.
“When we lose a miner, it’s not just a loss for the community, but a loss for the entire state of West Virginia,” Gov. Jim Justice said. “Mr. Chapman’s loss is a powerful reminder that we should always have a deep gratitude for every one of our coal miners. They are the ones who keep our nation running.”
The accidental, on-the-job death of any human being should be a reminder — yes, that people work hard to provide not just for their own families, but for the rest of us, too. It should also a reminder that employers must be doing everything in their power to properly equip and train workers to help avoid these tragedies.
No doubt Arch Resources officials are scrambling to figure out whether their safety equipment, protocol/enforcement and training could be improved. But they must not be alone.
Mine operators in West Virginia and across the country must double their safety efforts. If we’re going to talk about how much we rely on the work done by these men and women, we’d better be doing everything in our power to ensure they aren’t putting their lives at risk when they go to work every day.
The eight deaths nationwide is a far cry from the 55 deaths just 20 years ago in 2004, but it’s still eight too many. Operators and regulators must continue to be vigilant so that we can mine safely and ensure workers return home each day.