labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Improving Wisconsin worker safety should be one side effect of a new public service campaign aimed at making workers aware of the hazards of trespassing on mine property.

When you think of hazards in the workplace, you probably think of vehicle accidents, falls, and construction accidents. While those types of events injure many people, mines also pose a hazard.

Workers from industries unrelated to mining are sometimes injured in mining accidents, and this program should raise awareness of the problem affecting both workers and recreational enthusiasts. 

Richard E. Stickler, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, explains, “There are about 500,000 abandoned mines and another 14,000 active operations throughout the United States.” According to Stickler, “Many of them contain hidden hazards and, for those not trained to work in mines, the outcome can be deadly. That’s why we urge workers, hikers, bikers, rock hounds and swimmers to ‘Stay Out — Stay Alive.’”

Both workers and people who love the outdoors may not realize the hazards posed by mines. Many people only associate mine accidents with collapses shown on the news. But most mine accidents aren’t the collapses that are publicized. Instead, the majority of mine accidents happen to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, children, and even workers in industries other than mining.

The numbers tell the story. Since 1999, over 200 people have died due to accidents involving mines. Both active and abandoned mines are a hazard. Sadly, sometimes children wander into mines to play and are injured. In other cases, workers from industries other than mining have fallen into mine shafts or encountered other hazards on mine property.

All-terrain vehicle drivers often like to ride around old mines. But these mines may have unstable piles of loose material left behind. If this loose material collapses, it may cause the all-terrain vehicle driver to experience a potentially deadly rollover. 

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