How deep are old coal mines?

How deep are old coal mines?

Coal that occurs at depths of 55 to 90 m (180 to 300 ft) are usually deep mined, but in some cases surface mining techniques can be used. For example, some western U.S. coal that occur at depths in excess of 60 m (200 ft) are mined by the open pit methods, due to thickness of the seam 20–25 metres (60–90 feet).

What were conditions of working in coal mines?

Coal miners would have to, in some cases, trek miles down dark and cramped mine shafts to get to where the coal was being mined. Workers would spend 10 hour days hunched over and crawling, without a single opportunity to stand up or stretch. Additionally, the underground mines were hot and damp.

How many people still work in coal mines?

By the end of 2016, the coal industry employed approximately 50,000 miners. US employment in coal mining peaked in 1923, when there were 863,000 coal miners.

What is the life expectancy of a surface coal miner?

The average life expectancy in the coal mines for those starting work at 15 y was found to be 58.91 y and 49.23 y for surface and underground workers respectively.

What disease often afflicts coal miners?

The two main types of pneumoconioses that affect miners are coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) and silicosis. CWP, commonly called black lung, affects workers in coal mining. Silicosis can affect workers in many types of mines and quarries, including coal mines.

Who worked in the coal mines?

The older children and women were employed as hurriers, pulling and pushing tubs full of coal along roadways from the coal face to the pit-bottom. The younger children worked in pairs, one as a hurrier, the other as a thruster, but the older children and women worked alone.

How much do coal miners make an hour?

Underground Coal Miner Salary

	Annual Salary	Hourly Wage
Top Earners	$62,000	$30
75th Percentile	$55,000	$26
Average	$49,893	$24
25th Percentile	$37,000	$18

Do coal miners get black lung?