The main factor that improved the situation was regulation. People like to complain about OSHA and health/safety people, but they collectively preempt preventable tragedies like those described in the post. People also like to complain about lawyers and the threat of litigation, but that is also a key mechanism for enforcement. If those workers and/or their surviving family members had been fairly compensated, the mine operators might have prioritized safety. https://www.mines.edu/emcis/wp-content/uploads/sites/185/201...