Mining is a dangerous industry, but major advancements have been made in the last 40 years to improve safety and raise awareness of health and safety issues faced by miners. The first federal regulations for mine safety were established in 1947 and have been adjusted, updated, and revised since then. Let’s look at the importance of safety measures in underground mining operations.
The History of Mine Safety
Mining safety rules were much simpler 100 years ago, However, the lack of safety rules resulted in around 2,000 casualties per year, many of whom were children under the age of 12. In 1910, Congress established the Bureau of Mines as part of the Department of the Interior. The goal of the Bureau was to research the mining industry, improve mining safety, and reduce deaths and injuries.
The Importance of Mining Safety
Keeping mines safe and keeping mining laborers well-trained and informed is crucial in preventing mining accidents and deaths. Everyone who works in a mine should be aware of mining safety rules and should understand what training is required of them in order to maintain mining safety. Preventing mining accidents keeps operations and miners safe, improves workplace morale, increases efficiency and productivity, and saves money.
The Role of the Mine Safety and Health Administration
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was created in 1977 and their mission is to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. The MSHA requires all US mines to have a plan for training that includes:
- 40 hours of basic safety training for new miners with no surface mining experience.
- 24 hours of basic safety and health training for new miners without surface mining experience.
- 8 hours of refresher safety and health training for all miners each year.
- Safety and health training for any miner who is assigned a new task.
Since the creation of the MSHA, fatal injuries have decreased by 92%.
At Tygart Contracting, we ensure each of our offer mining workers and underground laborers are fully trained according to MSHA requirements. We also offer MSHA training to outside companies. Call us today or contact us online to get started.