Not only does the MINER act impose fines for violations of safety provisions, it implements a lot of new ones. For example, there must be reporting of any dangerous conditions within mines that may lead to accidents within 15 minutes of discovering such things. There must also be two rescue teams on site at mines and those teams must be capable of responding to any disaster within an hour. Wireless two-way communications and a tracking system capable of allowing those on the surface to easily locate those underground quickly must be present at all mines. Abandoned areas of coal mines must be sealed, and better ventilation of mine shafts must be in place. All of these things and more are part of the MINER act, and have already contributed to a reduction in accidents in mines and greater mine safety since their implementation with the passage of the act (Gurtunca and Breslin 2006).
Further, grant money has been made available to study workplace conditions at mines in order to make further safety recommendations. These grants allow research into everything from explosion prevention to improved health...
With the MINER act and the grants for examination mines and improving conditions for workers there, the number of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal, in mines across the nation will undoubtedly diminish greatly in number. These safety measures, once their success is noticed and seen throughout the world, may also be adopted by other countries, thus increasing the safety of mine workers in other places, based on the technologies developed through research in the United States. Through the MINER act, the United States has stuck by its commitment to protect the health and safety of workers in all job sectors in the country.
References
Dhillon, B.S. (2010). Mine Safety: A Modern Approach. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Gurtunca, R.G. And Breslin, J.A. (2006). "Recent Developments in Coal Mining Safety in the United States." National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Pittsburg, PA: Centers…
