“Better risk management by operators, advances in technology and greater emphasis on safety awareness in company and industry-wide programs have contributed to two consecutive years of record safety performance in US mines,” National Mining Association (NMA) Senior Vice President for Regulatory Affairs Bruce Watzman told the House Education and Labor Committee. Watzman emphasised that based on Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data, 86% of all domestic mines operated in 2009 without a single lost-time accident, and US mining had fewer fatalities than were recorded in 2008, the previous record-setting year. (more…)