Statement by US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on 2 Kentucky miners who lost their lives

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding two miners who lost their lives at the Dotiki Mine in Hopkins County, Ky.:

"Our hearts go out to the families of the two miners in Kentucky who lost their lives. Sadly, we know that mining accidents are 100 percent preventable when proper safety procedures are followed. Regardless of industry, no worker should have to face the prospect of injury or death in the workplace. The Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration will work diligently to determine the cause of this accident. We must take all possible action to prevent tragedies like this from occurring. We owe it to miners and their families, upon whom so much of our prosperity depends, to guarantee the safety and health of all those employed in our nation's mines."