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Peabody Energy today reported record safety results for the April through December 2001 period, posting a 10 percent improvement over the previous year and continuing a more than decade-long trend of strengthened safety performance.

Peabody's surface and underground mines reported a 3.6 average injury rate per 200,000 hours worked, which is 45 percent better than the U.S. mining industry average and a 78 percent improvement over the past decade. At the same time, productivity of 94 tons per miner shift reflected a nearly three- fold improvement over 1990 levels.

"We're continuing a trend of reducing accidents, which positions Peabody among the best industry performers," said Peabody President and Chief Operating Officer Richard M. Whiting. "Our relentless focus on safety continues to bring strong results."

Peabody's ambitious Safety: A Way of Life program has served to drive the company closer to an ultimate goal of zero injuries through its mining operations. Workers at Peabody's Seneca Mine in Colorado exemplified this goal and received the 2001 Peabody President's Award for operating the safest surface mine in the company.

Seneca Mine reported a perfect record of 0.00 incidents -- a year with no accidents requiring medical attention -- which compares to the national average for surface coal mines of 3.00 incidents per 200,000 hours worked. Seneca Mine has not had a reportable injury since September of 2000. The mine employs about 100 workers and annually ships about 1.9 million tons of coal.

For the second consecutive year, the President's Award for the safest underground operation was presented to Peabody's Harris No. 1 Mine in West Virginia, which reported a 4.28 incidence rate that is 58 percent lower than the national average for underground coal mines. Harris No. 1 employs approximately 270 workers and annually ships approximately 4 million tons of steam and metallurgical coal.

Peabody's surface and underground operations with the best injury incidence rates for 2001 include:

           Surface                              Underground
   Seneca Mine, Colo.       0.00       Harris No. 1, W.Va.         4.28
   Caballo Mine, Wyo.       0.47       Federal No. 2, W.Va.        5.55
   Kayenta Mine, Ariz.      0.49       Gibraltar Highwall, Ky.     5.55
   North Antelope/                     Lightfoot No. 2, W.Va.      6.02
    Rochelle Mine, Wyo.     1.84
   Big Sky Mine, Mont.      1.90

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company. Its coal products fuel more than 9 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and more than 2 percent of worldwide electricity generation.

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SOURCE: Peabody Energy