Miner Deaths Hit Record Low in 2019, Mine Safety Agency Says

Twenty-four mining fatalities occurred in 2019, the lowest number ever recorded, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The latest numbers represent a return to a general decline in mine worker deaths after a two year increase in 2017 and 2018. Last year was just the fifth year in MSHA’s 43-year history that there were fewer than 30 mining fatalities in a year.

Kentucky and West Virginia accounted for the biggest losses in workers with four deaths in each state.

Representatives from MSHA and the United Mine Workers of America weren’t immediately available for comment.

The agency says it’s ...