This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Whenever high-profile accidents such as the Crandall Canyon or Sago mine disasters occur, the coal industry's safety record gets distorted by the tragedy, a top mining executive said.
J. Brett Harvey, chief executive officer of CONSOL Energy Inc., told members of the Utah Mining Association gathered for their annual convention in Park City on Thursday that there is a "reputation-reality gap" that is plaguing the coal industry in this country.
"In our case, the gap refers to our current safety record, compared with the public's perception of our industry," he said. "Notwithstanding the accident here in Utah, our industry has made substantial progress in reducing fatal injuries and lowering the overall accident rate."
He pointed to industry data to back up his position.
"Since 1970, coal production in this country has increased 90 percent, while fatal injuries have decreased by 92 percent," Harvey said. "Yet if you watch the current media coverage of the coal industry, you would come away believing that we haven't made any progress in safety at all."
The reality is that mining is not even among the top 10 most dangerous occupations in this country, Harvey said. "Commercial fishing is the most dangerous job in the United States."
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics agrees.
Commercial fishing tops the most-dangerous list, while other perilous occupations include logging, flying small aircraft, farming and ranching, working on electrical power lines, truck driving and roofing.
Harvey said he was saddened by the loss of life at the Crandall Canyon mine but didn't specifically address that mine's safety record.
He did say that the best way for the coal industry to close the reputation-reality gap is to eliminate accidents entirely.
Although Harvey conceded that expecting coal mining to be a zero-accident industry might seem impossible, he believes that goal is obtainable by joining new technology with a culture of safety among companies and their workers.
Technology can help monitor conditions in mines to provide early identification of problem areas and enhance the safety of equipment, Harvey said.
"The culture of safety, on the other hand, involves engaging the mind of every employee. We want to make safety their core value."
CONSOL, which operates 20 mining sites, including the small underground Emery Mine in Utah, already has a number of its operations that have had zero accidents during the past year.
"Our goal is to get every operation there."
Utah State Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, said mining companies need to learn from the industry's past and move forward by putting increased emphasis on safety.
"Perhaps something good can come out of this [tragedy] - maybe better reviews of mining plans."