What comes to mind when you think of coal mining? If you're like me, coal mining means living in darkness and a cold-hearted industry. Other words that come to mind are poverty and oppression. Coal mining is not a job you dream about or get a degree for. People who work in coal mines don't choose a life full of danger and repression, they get stuck in it. Coal mining poses many dangers, not only to workers, but to the environment. Coal mining and the coal industry have caused irreversible damage to our environment and killed innocent miners. In her book Coal A Human History, Barbara Freese states: "The mundane mineral that built our global economy - and even today powers our power plants - has also caused death, disease and environmental destruction" (front flap) Today, the coal provides more than 55% of the electricity generated in the United States (Cullen, Robert Vol.272) Coal miners held one of the most dangerous jobs in history before government regulation. Many miners had to work underground for more than 10 hours a day and 6 days a week (Cobb, James "Coal") The number of deaths per year is the equivalent of a Titanic sinking in the nation's coal fields each year ( Turkington, Carol ) According to James Cobb of the World Book Online Reference Center, mine safety involves four main types of problems, including accidents involving machinery, roof and rib failures, gas buildups, and coal dust concentrations. Accidents involving machinery kill and/or harm more coal miners in a year than any other mining accident. Machinery in mines is located in cramped spaces with little light, making miners double the risk of accidents. Accidents involving roof and rib failures can usually be avoided if a mining company has a roof support plan. In order to make a roof support plan, you need information such as the width of the entrance, the geometry of the mine, the number of pillars that need to be left on the right, and the number of bolts that need to be used (Cobb 3 of 5) Accumulations of gas underground in coal mines represent another very serious danger. If certain gases such as methane and carbon monoxide are 5% or more in the air, they can cause violent explosions. Coal mine explosions are the main cause of such dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.