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Non-chargeable Mining Deaths


MSHA has several responsibilities under the federal Mine Safety and Health and Act of 1977 (Mine Act), as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act). These responsibilities include developing and promulgating mandatory safety and health standards, inspecting mines to determine whether there is compliance with those standards, and investigating accidents to determine their causes.

MSHA investigates all deaths on mine property; however, some deaths are unrelated to mining activity and are not counted in the statistics MSHA uses to assess the safety performance of the mining industry. These deaths are termed "non-chargeable" and include homicides, suicides, deaths due to natural causes, and deaths involving trespassers.

MSHA uses a formal Fatality Review Committee to determine whether a questionable death is chargeable. The committee is comprised of a medical doctor from the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers Compensation Programs and senior MSHA managers who do not have responsibility for MSHA's enforcement programs. Non-Chargeable Mining Death Reports

Please Note: The names of the decedents have been removed from these reports.

Coal Mine Safety and Health
Metal/Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health



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Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
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