Coal Miners

Coal mining is hard work involving harsh and sometimes hazardous conditions. Workers in surface mines are outdoors in all kinds of weather, while those underground work in tunnels that are cramped, dark, dusty, wet, and cold. They are all subjected to loud noise from the machinery and work that is physically demanding and dirty. The National Mining Association reports that coal miners work an average of 47 hours per week.

Since passage of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969, mine operators have improved the ventilation and lighting in underground mines and have taken steps to eliminate safety hazards for workers. Nevertheless, operators of the heavy machinery both on the surface and below ground run the risk of injury or death from accidents. Other possible hazards for underground miners include roof falls and cave-ins, poisonous and explosive gases, and long exposure to coal dust. The occupation of underground mining machine operator had the ninth-most fatal work injuries in the U.S. in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. After a number of years, workers may develop pneumoconiosis, or "black lung," which is a disabling and sometimes fatal disease. Between 1970 and 2016, an estimated 75,180 miners in the U.S. died from black lung disease, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.