Show ACCIDENTS IN METAL MINES an inquiry just completed by albert H fay mining engineer of the united states bureau of mines shows that fatal accidents in metal mines in the united states are more numerous in proportion to the number of men employed than are the fatal accidents in coal mines of the employed in the metal mines in the united states during the calendar year 1911 were killed which represents a rate of per 1000 men employed as compared with per 1000 for the coal mines of this country for the same period 1 the total number of fatalities and serious 1 and slight injuries due to accidents is as follows deaths or per 1000 men employed serious injuries or 2512 per 1000 and slight injuries or per iper 1000 of the total number of fatalities occurred underground or at the rate of per 1000 and 1531 were killed on the surface or per 1000 the figures show that approximately two thirds thirds of the total deaths and injuries that occur in and about metal mines were caused as follows of the fatal accidents per cent are due to falls of ore or rock from roof wall or bank 1123 per cent to explosives 1539 to tailing falling down slope shaft or wine and per cent to mine fires of the serious accidents per cent are due to falls of roof wall or bank 1905 per cent to car and haulage systems 1219 per cent to machinery and per cent to timber and hand tools of the slight accidents 2886 per cent are due to 0 falls of roof 1552 per cent to car and haulage systems 1010 per cent to machinery and per cent to timber and hand tools the figures for the copper mines show operators employing men of whom were employed underground and on the surface the total number of deaths and injuries due to accidents reported is as follows deaths or 33 per 1000 men employed serious injuries 1326 or 2967 per 1000 and slight injuries or per 1000 of the total number of fatalities occurred underground der ground making this rate per 1000 men employed 6 31 the surface fatalities were 93 or per 1000 the figures for the iron mines show 20 7 iron mine operators who employed men of whom 25 were employed underground and as surface men including those engaged in steam shovel work the number of deaths and injuries resulting from accidents in these mines is as follows deaths or per 1000 men employed serious injuries 2032 or per 1000 and slight injuries or 1883 per 1000 of the total number of fatalities occurred underground or 5 34 per 1000 men and 61 employees were killed while engaged in surface work making this rate per 1000 the figures for the lead and zinc mines refer only to those in the mississippi valley the lead and zinc mines of other states are grouped with miscellaneous metal mines on account of the difficulty of making a distinct classification as lead and zinc occur in so many places as associated metals in silver ores as for instance in the lead silver mines of the coeur calenes dA lenes district idaho the mississippi valley lead and zinc mines form a class by themselves and hence are easily segregated the statistics given embody the reports of operators employing men of whom are und employees and surface men the total number of deaths and injuries due to accidents is as follows killed 43 or per 1000 men employed serious injuries or 1414 per 1000 and slight injuries 1311 or per 1000 of the number of men killed 32 fatalities tali ties occurred underground making this rate 1 0 46 per 1000 men employed while 11 men were killed on the surface or 3 36 26 per 1000 men the figures for the miscellaneous metal mines show operators employing 48 men of whom were underground and surface men the deaths and injuries due to accidents are as follows deaths or 95 per 1000 men employed serious injuries or 1104 per 1000 slight injuries or per 1000 of the total number of fatalities occurred underground or per 1000 and 30 on the surface or per 1000 the rates of serious and slight injuries are low when compared with the iron and copper mines this may be accounted for in part by reason of the fact that this group includes many prospectors and small mines that keep no records fatal accidents impress themselves on the memory and are easily reported the serious and slight injuries are soon forgotten if not recorded many of these mines are in states where there is no inspection and they are not required to keep accident records many of the larger companies operating gold and silver and lead silver mines of the west have for their own protection hospital service and medical aid for their employees the reports from some of these large companies show that excellent records are being kept the nonmetal non metal mines employed men of whom were employed underground and on the surface teetotal the total number of deaths and injuries due to abc acc accidents reported is as follows deaths 24 or per 1000 men employed serious injuries 94 or per 1000 and slight injuries or 2253 per 1000 when compared with the copper and iron mines these ratios seem exceedingly low judging from the reports received this is largely accounted for by the fact that the mines being small and employing an average of only 42 men each do not keep complete records the majority of these mines are in state 3 where there is no state inspector and are therefore not obliged to keep accident records and make reports thereon the statistics have been published in technical paper no 40 copies may bo be obtained by addressing the director 1311 bureau of mines washington D C |