Dangers of Mining

Title: Safety Inspector's Report
Type: Book
Date: 1918
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: This is the yearly report of mine safety inspector.
Read Transcription

Activities:

1. How did the mining company make workers aware of safety?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The report says that rules and procedures have been posted all around, and that printed books on safety have been passed out to the workers.
2. Why would it be important for workers to know at all times the dangers that might be around them?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: In a dangerous occupation like mining, thinking ahead to what might happen could give you more time to react when something dangerous did happen, and could help you avoid the dangers.
3. Why would the workers be expected to remove or report anything they considered unsafe?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: That way everyone was helping to keep everyone else safe. Safety became everyone's job, not just the inspector's.
4. Did this inspector say that the mines are a safe place to work?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Not exactly. He reported that the companies were willing to do what he asked, and that mining was no more dangerous than it had to be.