What are the most common mining injuries?

Everyone knows that mining jobs are dangerous, but that doesn’t mean you have to get hurt if you work at mine. If you educate yourself about common mining accidents, you’ll have a better chance of staying safe and avoiding these potentially fatal dangers

Here are the most common mining injuries you’ll want to avoid:

Thermal stress injuries

The body can only handle so much humidity and heat. Problems like heat stroke other ongoing health issues can develop from overexposure to high heat work environments.

Physical injuries

Falling rocks, slips and falls, getting crushed by machinery and vehicle collisions result in many mining accidents and fatalities.

Chemical injuries

Exposure to different chemicals — especially the polymeric chemicals used in coal mines — cause numerous on-the-job injuries among miners. Respiratory injuries, poisonings and chemical burns are some of the most frequent chemical-related issues.

Respiratory injuries

A wide variety of respiratory injuries happen when miners inhale dust — particularly coal dust — which can lead to pneumoconiosis or black lung. Other issues caused by inhaling mine dust include bronchitis, tuberculosis, silicosis and lung cancer.

Whole body vibration injuries

These are systemic injuries that affect the entire musculoskeletal system. They are frequent in occupations that incorporate heavy machines. They can also cause reproductive problems in women, digestive issues, vision problems and cardiovascular issues.

Overexposure to ultraviolet light

Another word for this is “sunburn” but when it happens repeatedly, it can cause serious vision problems, skin cancer and other injuries.

Do you work in a mine? Be sure to educate yourself on how to avoid the above on-the-job injuries. If you do get hurt in spite of your best efforts to stay safe, however, you will be able to pursue a workers’ compensation claim to pay for your medical care.

Source: Hub International Mining, “Mining Safety: Most Common Types Of Injuries Seen In Mining,” accessed Dec. 07, 2017