MSHA’s first-quarter fatality data showed that of the 10 miners who died between January and late March, six were in coal.

In coal, no two death classifications were alike.

The workers were fatally injured in accidents involving exploding pressure vessels, drowning, handling materials, rib fall, machinery and electrical equipment.

Of the group, three victims were supervisors at their respective mines.

Additionally, five of the fatalities occurred on five consecutive weekends.

While none of those killed in the first three months of the year were contractors, MSHA encouraged the complete and proper training of all contract employees with the mine’s safety policies and procedures.

“Fatalities are preventable,” MSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor Joseph Main said.

“Many mines operate every shift of every day, year in and year out, without a fatality or a lost-time injury.

“No miner should die while working.”

Main also stressed the importance of effective workplace safety and health management initiatives and said examinations for hazards – pre-shift and on-shift, every shift – could identify and eliminate hazards which often led to injury and death.

“The importance and value of [these] programs cannot be overstated,” he said.

“A thorough, systematic review of all tasks and equipment to identify hazards is the foundation of a well-designed safety and health management program.”

Once in place, both operators and mines should ensure the programs were periodically reviewed, evaluated and updated.

“If an accident or ‘near miss’ occurs, determine the root cause(s) and act to prevent a recurrence,” Main said.

“If changes to equipment, materials, or work processes introduce new risks into the mine environment, they must be addressed immediately.”

Analysis of 2012’s first-quarter summary of mining fatalities is available on MSHA’s website at www.msha.gov/fatals/summaries/summaries.asp, along with best practices to help mining operations avoid such fatalities.