labor lawAdivision of labor law center

To the worker who’s not watching, or to the trespasser looking for a place to play, abandoned mine property may seem like a harmless place. But beneath the surface, so to speak, lie all kinds of dangers – from falls down mine shafts to snake bites to deadly explosions.

Such dangers have prompted the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

MSHA has launched an effort to reduce the threat to California worker safety and the safety of children and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The campaign is “Stay Out – Stay Alive.”

Each year workers in many fields are hurt when falling into mine shafts. The list of victims also includes children who trespass or wander onto property housing old, abandoned mines. More than 200 people have been killed yearly since 1999 as a result of these accidents. Besides children and outdoor activities enthusiasts, workers are susceptible to accidents on mine property.

The program may include visits by mine safety and health experts to scout organizations, schools, and other groups to talk to youngsters about of the many dangers that can face them if they wander onto abandoned mining property. It also involves public service announcements warning against accidental trespassing.

Richard Stickler, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, says there are about a half-million abandoned mines and another 14,000 active ones in the U.S. “Many of them contain hidden hazards and, for those not trained to work in mines, the outcome can be deadly.”

The many hidden hazards to Colorado worker safety include old explosives – some misfired, some never used. Blasting caps may be extremely risky, and might be set off by a simple touch.

But there are other hazards as well. Hidden mine shafts, some of them hundreds of feet deep, may lie in wait for the explorer or the worker. And they can be deceptive. Sometimes they are covered by boards that have turned rotten or become decayed. They may break under the least weight. Tunnels are apt to cave in. They are often plagued by poisonous snakes and insects or by poisonous gases.

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