Outdoor Living and Recreation
Mines are not Playgrounds: Stay Out and Stay Alive!
By
Sep 9, 2005, 01:03

(NAPSI)-The United States is dotted with thousands of old mines and quarries. For many kids, wonderful ways to spend an afternoon include splashing about in a quarry, speeding a bike over a sand and gravel pit or exploring the dark recesses of an old mine shaft. These playgrounds, however, can quickly turn deadly. Fortunately, learning more about the potential dangers may help protect your family.

Mining is a fundamental component of America's economy, employing more than 300,000 people and generating more than half the electricity in the U.S. Salt keeps wintry roads free of ice. Gold, silver, iron, copper and many other minerals are essential to the nation's prosperity.

There are about 14,000 active and as many as 500,000 abandoned mines around the country. State mining offices do their part to safely seal off old mine openings, but some remain unsealed. As more people visit remote locations, they are more likely to encounter an active or abandoned mine. Some of the hazards people find at mine sites might not be so obvious:

• Vertical shafts hundreds of feet deep may be completely unprotected, hidden on the surface by vegetation or covered by rotting boards.

• Horizontal openings may seem sturdy, but rotting timbers and unstable rock formations make cave-ins a real danger. Darkness and debris add to the hazards.

• Lethal concentrations of deadly gases can accumulate in underground passages.

• Unused or misfired explosives can become unstable, and vibrations from a touch or misstep can trigger an explosion.

• Hills of loose material in stockpiles or refuse heaps can easily collapse upon an unsuspecting biker or climber.

• Water-filled quarries and pits conceal rock ledges, old machinery and other hazards. The water can be deep and cold. Steep, slippery walls make climbing out very hard.

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration launched "Stay Out-Stay Alive," a public safety campaign to educate people about the hazards at active and abandoned mine sites. The campaign is a partnership made up of more than 80 federal and state agencies, private organizations, businesses and individuals, who visit schools and communities nationwide to distribute educational materials.

For more information about "Stay Out-Stay Alive," call (202) 693-9400 or visit www.msha.gov.

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