Mining is one of the world’s most dangerous industries and whether a person is going to be mining on a very small scale or at a large industrial scale, there’s always a risk for accidents and exposure to dust and toxins underground. Miners face the constant stress of danger and working in poor environments as well as an increased risk of accidents and disease that can regularly affect miners. As we look more in-depth on the history of mining, we start to see that there are a series of pressures that face miners even with today’s modern safety equipment and the fail-safes that are in place in most modern mines.
Underground mining is extremely dangerous for a number of reasons. Not only is it extremely demanding physically but after years of professional work in a mining environment, your risk for accidents and the ongoing performance strain of working in the environment continue to put a person’s health and well-being at risk. Continuing to go down into a mining site is a risk for every shift and this can often have a psychological toll on somebody that works in the mining industry for years. The darker and smaller environments can also lead to ongoing performance fatigue. The equipment in the mining industry will also be more prone to failure just as much as the employees. Because of the extremely hostile environments, it can be very difficult for equipment and people to continually work in a mining environment without some form of failure. When devices break down they can often malfunction and cause a series of accidents in mining environments. When people are tired or when they start to incur performance affecting injuries, they can also cause accidents.
As if all of the fatigue and stress were not bad enough, environmental factors from mining environments can also add to the danger. Gasses, dust, combustible items, electricity, and more can all cause accidents. Mining especially in an underground environment can be one of the most dangerous places to work because of the inhospitable conditions. Proper safety equipment, like a self contained breathing apparatus, and adherence to procedures will save lives.
Working in the mining industry can be extremely rewarding and it’s a necessary industry for us to produce the goods that we value every day. It is important to consider the risks involved and to take every effort to make mining as safe as possible.
This post was written by Justin Tidd, Director at https://beckersmcusa.com/. For nearly half a century, Becker Mining has been at the forefront of mining electrical companies. Becker/SMC is the industry’s leader in increasingly more sophisticated electrical control systems. Most of the major innovations, design features, and specialized electrical components have been developed by Becker/SMC.
