The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) works to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners.
MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.
The agency develops and enforces safety and health rules for all U.S. mines regardless of size, number of employees, commodity mined, or method of extraction. MSHA also provides technical, educational and other types of assistance to mine operators. We work cooperatively with industry, labor, and other federal and state agencies to improve safety and health conditions for all miners in the United States.
Making Strides
Safety and health in America’s mining industry made significant strides during the 20th century and over the last several decades in particular. In 1978, the first year MSHA operated under the Mine Act of 1977, 242 miners died in mining accidents. In 2022, this number fell to 29 fatalities.
MSHA continues to work to reduce injuries, illnesses and death through strong enforcement as well as active outreach, education and training, and technical support to the mining industry.
Explore the data visualization here: U.S. Mining Fatalities by Fiscal Year | Tableau Public