Chemical-related injuries and illnesses in U.S. mining

The purpose of this study was to determine if miners were at risk from exposures to chemicals used in the mining industry and determine the nature and sources of the illnesses and injuries. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) employment and accident, in­ jury and illness database was reviewed. There were 2,705 cases of chemical-related injuries and illnesses reported from 1999 through 2006, involving 66 different chemicals. The main source (cause) of chemical-related cases was acids/alkalis (about 39%). The primary nature (effect) of chemical-related cases was chemical burns (about 57%). The job classification where workers incurred the most chemical-related injuries and illnesses was cleaning plant operator/media operator/boney preparation plant operator/crusher worker (cleaning plant operators are responsible for maintenance of plants, media operators are responsible for handling reagents, boney preparation plant operators oversee removal of “bone” from coal, and crusher workers use large crushers to break mined material). From 1999 through 2006, the rate of “nonfatal days lost” and “no days lost” (resulting from injuries) did not change significantly; however, the rate of illnesses decreased signifi cantly. Chemical burns accounted for a large number of injuries; mining companies should carefully examine their personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, training methods and safety culture to ensure that their workers are protected. Introduction Thousands of miners are routinely exposed to a variety of chemical hazards. With nearly 329,000 operators and contractors working in the mining industry in 2006 (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2007a), the potential for chemical-related illness and injury is high. In a recently published review of the occupational health hazards associated with mining, a variety of chemical hazards were assessed (Donoghue, 2004). The predominant hazards identified were exposure to silica, coal dust, asbestos and diesel particulate matter. Other noted health risks included exposure to arsenic, nickel, lead, cadmium, manganese, platinum, cobalt, mercury, cyanide, sulfur dioxide and xanthates. A report by the Industrial Disease Standards Panel (IDSP, 1994) assessed lung cancer in hard rock mining and the potentially harmful agents in­ cluded ionizing radiation, arsenic, nickel, sulfuric acid mist, asbestos, diesel emissions, oil mist, blasting agents and silica. The wide range of chemicals used in mining lead to a variety of potential exposure hazards. Chemi­ cals posing a physical or health hazard can enter the body via the following three main pathways (Patnaik, 1999): • Contact with the eyes and skin: When chemicals come in contact with the skin they can cause dermatitis, rashes or burns. Alkalis, acids, soaps, detergents and organic compounds are the most frequent causes of dermatitis and the response to the exposure can be exacerbated by humidity, friction and excessive heat. Poisonous chemicals, as well as their vapors, can also cross the skin barrier and enter the blood stream (Patnaik, 1999). If a chemical gets into the eye it can burn, cause an infection or hinder vision. Chemical eye burns typically occur from alkalis, acids or organic solvents (Weeks et al., 1991). • Ingestion: Exposure due to ingestion of a chemical can occur if hands are not thoroughly cleaned after handling chemicals. Exposure occurs from subsequent handling of food, utensils, cigarettes or other items that might be placed in the mouth. • Inhalation: Inhaled chemicals can cause acute re­ sponses such as nausea, headaches, shortness of breath and asphyxiation, or they can have chronic outcomes such as central nervous system disorders and respira­ tory illnesses. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) summarized a survey that focused on injuries, illnesses and hazardous exposures to mine workers (NIOSH, 2000). This survey included an analysis of MSHA data for the 10-year period from 1986 through 1995, to determine the number and nature of nonfatal injuries within each commodity. Nonfatal chemi­ cal burns and poisonings, listed by type of operator are presented in Table 1. Table 1 Total number of nonfatal injury cases and those caused by chemical burns and poisonings for 1986 through