All underground coal mines in West Virginia now have emergency refuge chambers for trapped miners, according to the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training (MHST). More than 300 shelters stocked with food, water, and the ability to supply oxygen have been placed in more than 180 mines, MHST reported. West Virginia mandated shelters within 1,000 ft of the working face of all underground mines after 14 men were trapped and killed in two accidents in January 2006. Getting shelters in place significantly improves safety in mines in the nation’s second largest coal producing state, said MHST. Shelters are designed as a last-chance refuge for miners who can’t escape fire and other accidents.
