Women in Coal Mining

When thinking of mining, many picture male coal miners. This is because most miners are men, and many depictions of coal miners are of men wearing hardhats and dusty reflective coveralls. Women have been working in various capacities above ground in coal mining since coal was first commercially used in the U.S. in the early 1700s. However, it wasn’t until 1974 that women were formally recognized and included in the underground coal mining workforce. Today, women comprise approximately 10 –17% of the total mining workforce.

Taking a closer look

Women are often underrepresented in coal mining research, in part due to a tendency in some scientific studies to exclude small populations from analysis. To fully understand women’s experiences and health in mining, including coal mining, researchers can analyze the smaller amounts of data available for women. This approach can help to better understand the characteristics of minority groups like women in mining and address their needs in the workplace.

To address this gap, we conducted an analysis using data from the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP). The CWHSP offers respiratory health screenings to all working coal miners in the United States. Health screenings include periodic chest x-rays provided at no cost to coal miners throughout their working careers. Our analysis included data on evaluations (classifications) of x-rays for findings of pneumoconiosis or black lung and accompanying occupational and demographic information. We analyzed data from participants identifying as female in the program over a period of 53 years (1970 to 2022). The purpose was to understand women’s participation in the CWHSP and describe their employment and disease characteristics.

Challenges

Unfortunately, there is a lack of systematic accounting for women’s employment in the coal mining industry and the Department of Labor’s current reports do not provide information on employment by sex. Additionally, estimates drawn from available data on women in mining many not accurately represent the full mining workforce. This emphasizes the need for more comprehensive data collection to understand women’s presence in the workforce and their health outcomes.

Participation in the CWHSP is voluntary, with about 35-40% of employed miners participating in the program. This includes new miners first entering the profession and those participating periodically throughout their careers. More robust data would help us to better understand the characteristics of women in coal mining.

Findings

Our research found that women have relatively short tenures in coal mining. The majority of 8,182 women participants reported working less than 10 years in the industry. We need to better understand the reason for short tenures, for example, work-life balance issues related to family responsibilities, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, or possibly other barriers to continued employment. The shorter tenure likely contributes to lower rates of black lung. Only 18 out of the 8,182, or 0.5% were affected by this disease. Black lung typically develops over a long period of exposure to respirable coal mine dust.

Furthermore, data shows that women are generally in less skilled positions such as general laborers. These positions have lower exposure to coal mine dust compared to higher-paying positions. Lack of upward job mobility could contribute to both the low prevalence of black lung observed and the shorter tenures among women miners. Thus, the prevalence of black lung among women participants in the CWHSP raises questions about occupational exposure, opportunity, and societal norms based on gender roles.

Outlook

Considering the voluntary nature of CWHSP participation and potential underrepresentation of women, targeted outreach efforts are necessary. Encouraging more women coal miners to participate would provide a better understanding of their respiratory health risks and experiences in mining among women. A focused effort to improve data sources can eventually lead to a comprehensive understanding of the health and welfare of women miners. It would help to highlight why women leave the industry and their post-employment health impacts.

To gain a better understanding of women’s issues in mining, using additional information sources like medical records or accident, injury, and illness reports from the mining industry would be informative. Future research is planned to expand knowledge of the health and safety of women working in mining across the United States and their contributions to the industry.

Noemi Hall, PhD, is a Research Epidemiologist with the Surveillance Branch of the Respiratory Health Division at NIOSH.

Resources

• Women in Coal Mining—Radiographic Findings of Women Participants in the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program 1970–2022 | Journal of Women’s Health (liebertpub.com)
• About Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program | Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program | CDC
• Occupational Safety and Health of Women in Mining
• Struggles and Triumphs of Women in Coal Mining