Deaths of US coal miners doubles

The excellent Confined Space alerts us to the fact that 44 US coal miners have been killed on the job so far in 2006, double the 22 who were killed in all of 2005, and the highest number of coal miners that have been killed in one year since 1995.

Kentucky miner, Tony Swieney, 44, an underground mine section foreman, was struck on the head by a large electrical plug when he was dragging a large cable on Saturday afternoon at the McCoy Elkhorn Number 23 mine near Ashcamp, Pike County which mines the Fireclay and Pond Creek seams on the room and pillar system.

Mine Safety and Licensing spokesman Chuck Wolfe says the plug end of the cable was wrapped around a pole of the scoop canopy.

Wolfe says it appears the cable became snagged, the plug end whipped loose from the pole, and Swieney was hit in the head.

Swieney died on the way to the hospital. His death is the 15th coal-related fatality in the BlueGrass state this year.