Metal-Mine Accidents in the United States During the Calendar Year 1925 Page: 28
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28 METAL-MINE ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
LEAD AND ZINC MINES
Figures for lead and zinc mines as given herein relate only to
mines producing these metals in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and
other Mississippi Valley States. Included with the reports for lead
and zinc mines are those for fluorspar mines in Illinois and Kentucky.
This grouping is the same as that used by the Bureau of Mines since
1911.
Reports from producing companies showed a slight increase in the
aggregate number of men employed in and about the mines as com-
pared with 1924, but the number working underground showed a
much larger increase (about 13 per cent). Similarly, there was a
substantial gain indicated in the amount of work done underground;
that is, in the number of man-days worked by all underground em-
ployees. In fact, the number of employees underground and the
total man shifts worked by them indicated a gain over any previous
postwar year as well as a gain over 1918, the last year of the war.
The average working time was 281 days per man for employees
underground and 280 days per man for underground and surface
employees combined. The average working time underground repre-
sented an improvement over all previous years except 1924 and 1923;
the average working time for surface and underground employees
combined was better than ever before except 1924, 1923, and 1920.
A review of reports from all operating companies for 1925 showed
that the mines employed 12,913 men, of whom 10,634 worked under-
ground in the mines. The total working time was equal to 3,612,408
man-days, of which 2,992,331 man-days were worked by underground
employees. Accidents resulted in 40 deaths and 5,636 nonfatal lost-
time injuries, thus indicating a fatality rate of 3.32 and an injury
rate of 468 per thousand 300-day employees. For underground em-
ployees alone the fatality rate was 3.71 and the injury rate 505. The
fatality rates in 1925 were less favorable than those for the past five
years, but they were not as high as the rates that usually prevailed
for years previous to 1920. On the other hand, the nonfatal injury
rates for 1925 showed a material improvement over the preceding
three years as regards underground accidents; but an unfortunate
increase in surface accidents caused the net rate for all employees in
and about the mines to remain practically stationary.
Sixteen out of 37 fatal accidents (including shaft accidents) to the
underground employees in 1925 were caused by fall of rock or ore
irom roof or wall; 7 were due to haulage equipment, and 6 to explo-
sives. However, as regards nonfatal injuries, the chief cause of the
accidents was rock or ore while loading at working face, the figures
showing 1,496 injuries in this group out of 5,036 injuries (including
shaft accidents) of all kinds underground. Other leading causes of
nonfatal injuries to the men employed underground were haulage
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Adams, William W. Metal-Mine Accidents in the United States During the Calendar Year 1925, report, 1927; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12460/m1/34/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.