MSHA Urges Outdoor Enthusiasts to Steer Clear of Mines, Quarries
Each year, numerous children and adults are injured or killed while engaging in recreational pursuits at active and abandoned mine sites across the country.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration marked Memorial Day’s unofficial start of summer with its annual warning to outdoor enthusiasts who may stray — knowingly or otherwise — onto mine property. Each year, numerous children and adults are injured or killed while engaging in recreational pursuits at active and abandoned mine sites across the country.
In 1999, MSHA launched "Stay Out — Stay Alive," a public safety campaign geared to educate people unfamiliar with mining about the hazards that exist at sand and gravel pits, underground mines, and water-filled quarries.
"As schools begin letting out for the summer, there are more opportunities to explore the great outdoors," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health." We want our kids to stay safe and be aware that mines are not playgrounds."
Thomas Jones, a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs, joined forces as SOSA's spokesman last year, and since then has delivered his safety message to children, met with members of Congress to encourage their involvement, and taped several audio and video public service announcements. Jones, whose parents were coal miners in southwestern Virginia, admits to the lure of mine exploration during his early years.
"When you're a kid, you're adventurous and want to check out places like old mines and quarries," Jones said. "We didn't realize the dangers, and there were some close calls."
Abandoned underground mines may harbor hidden openings that drop hundreds of feet down. Rotting timbers and unstable rock formations make cave-ins a real danger. Lethal concentrations of deadly gases can accumulate in underground passages, and total darkness and debris add to the hazards.
Water-filled quarries, which claim the most lives through drowning accidents, have slippery slopes and unstable rock ledges. The water, which looks inviting, may conceal old machinery and sharp objects left behind after a mining operation closes. Even expert swimmers have encountered trouble in the dangerously cold and deceptively deep waters — and they can't rely on lifeguards to rescue them.
Old surface mines, such as sand and gravel pits, are popular with ATV enthusiasts. However, they often contain hills of loose materials in stockpiles or refuse heaps that can easily collapse and cause deadly rollovers.
For further information about "Stay Out-Stay Alive," visit http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/SOSAhome.asp.