Another year prioritizing miners’ safety and health and mining communities

Following deadly disasters that haunted mining communities and thousands of miners stricken by occupational illnesses such as black lung disease, Congress passed the Mine Act and created the Mine Safety and Health Administration to ensure that the first priority and concern of all in the mining industry must be the health and safety of its most precious resource—the miner. In other words, Congress declared with the force and effect of law that the nation’s miners and their well-being—not production or profits—must always be the top priority for everyone in mining. 

That principle is what guides MSHA’s employees every day and has served as my north star as Assistant Secretary. It is also that spirit with which this Administration has always put the safety and health of miners and their families first. Every year since 1978, MSHA’s dedicated employees have served as the guardians of the Mine Act and worked tirelessly to improve safety and health conditions to protect every miner in the U.S. and prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the mining industry.

Below are some examples of MSHA delivering for miners and mining communities in 2024.

MSHA prioritized protecting miners’ health and preventing deadly diseases.

• In April, MSHA issued a historic final respirable crystalline silica rule to reduce miner exposures to toxic silica dust and improve respiratory protect against all airborne hazards. Silica dust, a carcinogen, causes irreversible, debilitating and deadly lung diseases. Each case of silicosis and black lung disease is entirely preventable – and no miner should ever have to sacrifice their health or lungs to provide for their family. As Acting Secretary Su passionately stated, “No job should be a death sentence.”
•  The final silica rule went into effect on June 17th, and MSHA hosted eight stakeholder meetings throughout the country to educate and aid compliance. Throughout 2024, the agency also continued the silica enforcement initiative it launched in 2022. 
• Part 90 protects coal miners diagnosed with pneumoconiosis (lung diseases caused by inhaling dust and toxic substances) by allowing them to work in healthier parts of the mine without having their pay reduced or facing other discrimination. A component of MSHA’s Miner Health Matters Campaign focused on reducing barriers for miners exercising these rights. In 2024, 22 miners exercised their rights under Part 90. In the past two years, there has been a 470% increase in miners exercising their rights to join the Part 90 program from the previous two years, with 57 miners in 2023 and 2024 exercising their rights for the first time compared to 10 miners doing so in 2021 and 2022. 
• In March, MSHA launched a Health Resource Locator tool that allows miners to find personalized health and benefits information quickly and conveniently on the web or on the Miner Health and Safety App.
• Work-related pain and injuries increase miners’ chances of being prescribed an opioid and subsequent risks of prescription opioid misuse, long-term opioid use, and opioid use disorder. In collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, MSHA released the Implementing Effective Workplace Solutions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder: A Resource Guide for the Mining Industry, which offers actionable tools for mine operators and occupational safety and health managers to implement effective workplace prevention strategies related to opioid use disorder.

MSHA used all its tools and led efforts that significantly reduced fatalities.

After the mining industry experienced a troubling increase in fatalities in 2023, MSHA immediately acted and led efforts with the entire mining community to combat the trend and identify and eliminate hazards that can cost miners their lives. MSHA’s strong enforcement initiatives and the availability of compliance assistance resources helped to reduce the number of fatalities by 30% from the previous year, with 28 fatalities in 2024 compared to 40 in 2023. While each life lost is one too many, this is the lowest number of mining fatalities in five years.

• Mine inspections identify hazards and require immediate corrective actions to help prevent incidents, injuries, and illnesses. Mandatory inspections are performed four times per year in underground mines and two times per year at surface mines.  Because of focused efforts to rebuild MSHA’s enforcement ranks and the 104 enforcement staff added since April 2022, MSHA was able to complete 20,007 regular inspections in 2024. In addition to mandatory inspections in the last two years, MSHA inspectors performed 343 impact inspections at 300 mines that merited increased agency attention and identified 5,246 violations, including 1,456 significant and substantial (S&S) and 102 unwarrantable failure findings. Every month, MSHA issues news releases detailing the impact inspections conducted.
• In May, MSHA held the second annual Stand Down to Save Lives event by visiting 1,882 mines and speaking to more than 30,000 miners and supervisors throughout the country. Mining operations were paused to dedicate extra time to talk about safety and health as part of this effort and a new toolkit was shared to support the mining community’s efforts to better identify and mitigate risks.
•  Accidents involving powered haulage and machinery have historically been leading causes of fatalities. In July, the Safety Program for Surface Mobile Equipment rule went into effect requiring mine operators to develop a written safety program for surface mobile equipment to protect miners and improve safety in equipment use. Importantly, the program must include input from miners and their representatives. As part of compliance assistance, MSHA hosted 19 district stakeholder meetings across the nation specifically on this rule.
• As part of the agency’s concerted efforts to reduce fatal and serious accidents and improve operator compliance, MSHA conducted two Pattern of Violations screenings for the second year in a row. The latest screening found none of the nation’s mines met the POV criteria for the existence of a pattern of violations under the Mine Act for the first time since 2021. 
• Two mines continue to have active Pattern of Violation notices in effect:
  • Issued July 6, 2023, to Atalco Gramercy LLC, operator of Gramercy Operation in Gramercy, Louisiana, after MSHA identified a pattern of S&S violations related to leaks at the mine that create accumulations of material containing hazardous chemicals in work areas and walkways. Following issuance of the POV notice, 106 Mine Act 104(e) withdrawal orders have been issued to Atalco Gramercy.
  • Issued Dec. 1, 2022, to Morton Salt Inc., operator of the Weeks Island Mine and Mill in New Iberia, Louisiana, after the agency MSHA identified a pattern of S&S violations related to conditions and/or practices that contributed to loose ground hazards on ceilings and ribs throughout the mine. Following issuance of the POV notice, 96 Mine Act 104(e) withdrawal orders have been issued to Morton Salt Inc. 
• Using enhanced enforcement actions like Pattern of Violations, impact inspections and MSHA’s Scofflaw program to improve mine operator compliance and focuses on chronic violators. For the 200 mines with the most S&S violations, those violations have decreased 15 percent over the past two years. The same mines have also seen a 10 percent reduction in total violations and a 26 percent decrease in elevated enforcement actions.
• MSHA provided more than $11.5 million for education and training programs to better identify, avoid and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around mines through the Brookwood-Sago mine safety grant program and State grant program in 2024. This year the grants supported key MSHA priorities including mine rescue, better protecting miners from exposure to silica dust, powered haulage safety, and the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners throughout the nation. 

MSHA promoted miners’ rights and actively engaged with the mining community.

• MSHA began a miners’ rights initiative, Speak Up, Save Lives: MSHA Has Your Back, share information about miners’ fundamental rights to a safe and healthy workplace, to report hazards, and to be able to exercise these rights without fear of retaliation or discrimination. 
• MSHA leadership and staff have participated in numerous events and conferences with the mining community throughout 2024. In February, MSHA participated in a Total Worker Health Summit in Connecticut focusing on the well-being of miners. In June, MSHA hosted a panel discussion on silica with miners and black lung advocates in West Virginia on the benefits of reduced exposure to silica. In August, MSHA supported the National Mine Rescue Contest where teams showcased their skills. In October, MSHA visited West Virginia University’s mine rescue team for Mine Rescue Day. In December, MSHA leadership commemorated National Miners Day by attending the visiting the Robena Mine Disaster Memorial event hosted by the United Mine Workers of America in southwestern Pennsylvania. 
• Throughout the year, the Department of Labor’s leadership had the honor of recognizing miners across the country and lifting up stories of what good mining jobs mean to families and communities. From Michigan to Wisconsin to Nevada, we talked with mine operators, miners, and their unions about staying safe and healthy as they provide raw materials to support U.S. infrastructure and manufacturing.

As we begin 2025, MSHA must continue to do its part to ensure that miners’ safety and health remains the top priority at every mine site. We know from our experiences in 2024 and history that an active, adequately staffed MSHA is critical to preventing accidents and protecting miners’ safety and health. Miners and their families sacrifice so much for our country, and we owe them more than our gratitude—they deserve to go home safe and healthy each day at the end of their shifts.

Miners have the right to file hazardous complaints. Miners can call or email any MSHA inspector or office, call our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-746-1553, or report online at through MSHA’s Hazardous Condition Complaint system, or use the Miner Health and Safety app.

Chris Williamson is the assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. Follow MSHA on X/Twitter at @MSHA_DOL and on Facebook.