1996: Safest Year in Coal Mining History

A combination of safety training programs, new technology and fewer small coal operations made 1996 the safest year in American coal mining history, experts say. Thirty-eight coal miners lost their lives on the job last year, down from the record low of 45 fatalities recorded in 1994 and last year’s toll of 47, said U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Kathy Snyder. In 1906, 3,234 miners were killed in the United States. In Kentucky, the nation’s No. 3 coal producer, 12 miners died in 1996, the same as in the previous two years. That tied the state with West Virginia, the nation’s No. 2 producer, for the most deaths.