Determining Causes of Coal Mine Hazards: Prevention and Construction Measures

The thousands of workers employed by the United States coal mining industry are subjected to health and safety risks that can result in their being severely or even fatally injured. They are exposed to toxic mine gases, chemical releases, adverse climatic and environmental conditions, and other hazards that need to be managed by implementing adequate technologies and practices. The primary goal of the research was to identify the major categories of the hazards, detail their causes, and determine the measures that would be most effective at preventing them. A thorough review was performed of the data and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), numerous other journals, and conference papers, and four categories of hazards were determined as being major threats to miners: explosions, fires, inundations, and ground failures. A rigorous literature search was conducted on these hazards, resulting in various causes and preventative and constructive measures being identified and the glaring need for training coal miners on safe work practices becoming apparent. This research will enhance the understanding of the causes of coal mine hazards and provide preventative and constructive measures for managing them.