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Mine Safety and Health Administration
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Critical Item Checklist for Mine Emergencies

Lapse in Appropriations

For workplace safety and health, please call 800-321-6742; for mine safety and health, please call 800-746-1553; for Job Corps, please call 800-733-5627 and for Wage and Hour, please call 1-866-487-9243 (1 866-4-US-WAGE).  This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was 10/1/2025.  Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations.

This Checklist for Mine Emergencies was developed by a team composed of members from Technical Support, Coal Mine Safety and Health, and Metal and Nonmetal Safety and Health. Since it was developed, it has been improved by incorporating the needs based on additional mine emergency experiences.

A. NOTIFICATION

  1. Activate Notification Procedures for Emergency Contacts.
  2. Notify Key Mine Officials.
  3. Notify MSHA Officials.
  4. Notify State Officials.
  5. Notify Labor Organization Officials.
  6. Notify Police.
  7. Notify Fire/Rescue Organizations.
  8. Notify Neighboring Mines.
  9. Notify Family Members.
  10. Notify Medical Support Personnel.

B. SHUTDOWN OPERATION

  1. Assemble Employees.
  2. Debrief Witnesses.
  3. Account for All Persons Known to Be at the Mine.
  4. Assign Employees to Tasks.

C. SECURITY AND SITE MONITORING

  1. Establish Security - All Access Roads.
  2. Establish Check-in/Check-out System for All Authorized Persons.
  3. Assign Site Monitors and Shift Rotation Schedule.
  4. Establish Parking Area and Staging Area.

D. COMMAND CENTER

  1. Follow Mine Emergency Plan.
  2. Setup a Mine Emergency Command System.
  3. Staff Emergency Organization.
  4. Delegate Authority and Assign Duties.
  5. Give Appropriate Orders.
  6. Brief Arriving Personnel.
  7. Review all Mine Maps and Coordinate Reference Points on all Maps.
  8. Make Extra Copies of Maps
  9. Establish Gas Monitoring, Data Analysis, and Trend Analysis.
  10. Follow Appropriate Safety Precautions.
  11. Request/Dispatch Additional Persons to Mine as Required.
  12. Take Appropriate Actions Relative to Site Recovery.
  13. Establish a Shift Rotation Schedule for Command Personnel.

E. COMMUNICATIONS

  1. Relay Information to the Command Center.
  2. Establish External Communications (Corporate, MSHA, State, Miner's Representatives, Medical, Legal, Etc.).
  3. Monitor and Log All Communications.

F. MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS

  1. Arrange for Ambulance and Medical Services.
  2. Setup Temporary Morgue (if required).

G. ACQUISITION OF EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND SERVICES

  1. List All Equipment in the Mine and on the Surface.
  2. Locate and Check Onsite Equipment for Possible Use.
  3. Arrange for Heavy Equipment if Required.
  4. Arrange for Portable Radios.
  5. Provide Transportation for Equipment.
  6. Obtain Personal Protective Equipment.
  7. Establish Waiting and Briefing Area for Family/Relatives (Provide Food and Sitting/Sleeping Area).
  8. Establish Press Briefing Area.

H. INFORMATION

  1. Appoint a Spokesperson for All Entities.
  2. Brief Family Members on a Regular Schedule.
  3. Brief the Press and Media on a Regular Schedule
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