MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

July 1996

Mining the earth&emdash;underground and on the surface&emdash;for coal, ore, and stone, remains one of the most dangerous industries in the United States.

Approximately 400,000 miners are employed in over 11,000 surface and underground mines in the U.S.
Each year, an estimated 2,000 miners die from lung diseases caused by exposure to coal mine dust. The Federal Black Lung Program paid over $18 billion to beneficiaries in the 1980s.
Mining has the highest rate for fatal injuries of all U.S. industries. More than 80 miners die from fatal work injuries each year.
In 1993, one in eight underground coal miners was injured on the job, nearly twice the average of U.S. industry.

Primary Focus of NIOSH

The primary focus of NIOSH mining research is to prevent lung diseases, the most prevalent health problem among miners. Recently, Congress and the Administration transferred the management of the mine safety research functions of the former Bureau of Mines (BoM) to NIOSH, consolidating into one program all federal occupational health and safety research. Workplace hazards, and ways to control them, cut across many industries. Mining research activities provide new opportunities for improving safety and health research for all workers.

NIOSH Makes a Difference in the Health of Miners

While significant progress has been made to reduce mine worker respiratory disease since the enactment of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, serious problems remain. Some dust samples collected in underground and surface mines exceed Federal dust standards. Even miners with lifetime exposures to coal mine dust at the current federal standard have an elevated risk of developing occupational respiratory diseases. NIOSH assesses mine dust health effects and develops exposure controls and other prevention strategies. Examples include:

Preventing Silicosis in Mine Drillers

Silicosis, a preventable and often fatal lung disease, is caused by inhaling fine particles of silica. Silicosis persists, even with knowledge of how it can be prevented. Each year, thousands of coal workers are afflicted with silicosis.

NIOSH field investigations identified numerous examples of high silica exposures and tragic cases of silicosis deaths in mine drillers. NIOSH issued an Alert on rock drilling which described steps to prevent worker exposure to silica dusts (DHHS [NIOSH] Publication No. 92-107). NIOSH and its partners developed a national program to promote the health of surface coal miners. To reduce silicosis among miners, NIOSH:

Disseminates information to inspectors, miners, and employers throughout the surface mining industry describing steps to prevent silicosis
Produced a video for the surface mining community.

Provides technical assistance to establish a program providing health screening and follow up care for surface miners in Pennsylvania.

Preventing Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung Disease)

The 1995 NIOSH document, Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposures to Respirable Coal Mine Dust (DHHS [NIOSH] Publication No. 95-106), summarizes key scientific findings from the past two decades relevant to prevention of lung disease in mining. Following NIOSH recommendations will reduce the health risks of underground and surface coal miners. This NIOSH document:

Describes methods for monitoring worker exposures, procedures for medical screening and surveillance of miners, and the use of personal protective equipment.
Recommends an exposure limit for respirable coal mine dust to protect miners from respiratory diseases.

NIOSH Makes a Difference in the Safety of Miners

Unpredictable geological conditions, confined work spaces, poor visibility and the use of large, powerful equipment are hazards in mining. Coal and metal miners who suffer injuries tend to lose twice as many days of work as workers in other industries. With the incorporation of the former BoM into NIOSH, NIOSH has increased capacity to improve mine safety through training, prevention strategies, and technologies. Examples include:

Preventing Deaths from Roof Bolting in Underground Coal Mines

From 1983 though 1994, eleven fatalities associated with roof bolter machines in coal mines were identified nationwide. Victims were crushed between the roof bolter’s drill boom and the mine roof when control levers were activated while the operator was out of position.

Through human factors analyses and interviews with roof bolter operators, researchers developed control strategies to eliminate this hazard. One strategy, using a lockout device to cut off power to the machine controls when the operator is out of position, has been adopted by the largest manufacturer of roof bolter machines.

NIOSH Solves Safety and Health Problems in Mining

Between October 1993 and March 1996, NIOSH researchers conducted 15 health hazard evaluations in mining industries. NIOSH is conducting over 100 safety and health research projects in cooperation with mine operations.

To request a NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation or for more information on occupational safety and health issues call toll free:

1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674)

Additional Information

Copies of the NIOSH publications described in this document are available free-of-charge from the NIOSH Publications Office while supplies last:

telephone 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674)
fax 513-533-8573
e-mail pubstaft@cdc.gov

For a list of other available NIOSH publications, request fax document # 000006 from the toll-free CDC Fax Information Service (1-888-232-3299). This information is also available on the Internet at CDC's web site.

Document #705003

THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED ON August 12, 1997

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