809PART IV. MINE .SAFETY

SAFETY IN MINING IN 1932

By D. HABRINOTON



 Final figures are not yet available on the occurrence of accidents in mining
in 1932, but preliminary data indicate that in general the excellent safety
performance of the mining industry in 1931 was at least equaled and in parts
of the industry improved. From preliminary ata it appears that accident-frequency
rates* in anthracite. as well as bitijminous-coal mining and nOnmetaffic
mining (other than coal) were reduced; there was little change in the accident-frequency
rates for mills, smelters, and stone quarries, and rates for metal mines
probably increased slightly in 1932 compared with 1931. Man-ho~s of exposure
in anthracite and bituminous mines appear to have decreased about ' 17 percent
in 1932 compared with 1931, the decreases in exposure for other branches
of, the industry being approximately 38 percent' for metal mining, 34 percent
for nonmetaffic mining, and
28. percent for quarries.
COAL MINING

 Tentative figuEes available on coal-mine fatalities in 1932 place the total
at 1,166, compared with 1,463 (final figures).in 1931. West Virginia had
the largest number of fatalities, 263, a decided improvement over the 351
in 1931. Pennsylvania (anthracite) came second with 245 fatalities—a
much better showing than the 383 in. 1931. Pennsylvania' (bituminous) was
third with 158, or considerably fewer than the 210 in 1931. Iffinois was
fourth with 114, an increase over the 92 of 1931, and Kentucky fifth with
101, a decrease from the 110 of, the previous year.
 Falls of roof and side in mines caused 598 out of the 1,166 fatalities in
1932—160 in West Virginia, 142 in Pennsylvania (anthracite), 92 in
Pennsylvania (bituminous), 51 in Kentucky, 34 in Illinois, and 23 in Ohio.
Of the smaller producing States, Colorado with 14 fatalities from falls of
roof and side had the poorest showing; Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, and
Michigan had no fatalities from falls in 1932.
 Underground haulage caused 180 fatalities m 1932, 54 bemg in
West Virginia, 33 in Pennsylvania (anthracite), 33 in Pennsylvania
(bituminous), 12 in Kentucky, 11 in Illinois, and 9 in Colorado.
The following coal-mining States escaped haulage fatalities in 1932:
Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas.