ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An annual mine roof safety program is focusing on reducing the number of deaths resulting from rib falls in underground coal mines.
Ribs are the sides, or walls, in a mine.
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The Mine Safety and Health Administration says in a news release that fatal rib fall accidents outnumbered other roof fall accidents in underground mines in 2011. So far this year, one miner has been killed in a rib fall accident.
This year’s mine roof control program will include distributing information to mine operators and miners about the dangers of roof and rib conditions and ways to examine and address them.