NONMETAL OPERATOR 


MINING FACTS – 2004 


DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 


September 2007 

In 2004, a total of 741 nonmetal mining operations 

reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health 

Administration (MSHA). These mines (e.g., potash, 

gypsum, salt) comprised 5.1% of all operations. 

•	 Mines producing common clay comprised 27.4% 

(n=203) of all nonmetal mining operations. 

•	 Nonmetal mining operations were located in all 

states and territories except Alaska, Delaware, 

Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, 

Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 

Nonmetal Mine Locations Nonmetal Mine Locations #

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741 Mining Operations 

Spotted randomly within counties 

A total of 19,432 employees,

1

 corresponding to 

20,183 full-time equivalent (FTE)2 employees, were 

reported to MSHA by nonmetal mine operators in 

2004. This was a 0.6% decrease in the number of 

FTE nonmetal operator employees from 2003. 

Coal Operator 250 Metal Operator 

Nonmetal Operator 

Stone Operator 

Sand & Gravel Operator 

Coal Contractor 

Noncoal Contractor 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 

Number of Employee Hours

(millions) 

•	 Within the mining sectors,3 nonmetal mine 

operator employees accounted for 7.4% of all 

employee hours reported. 

•	 Employee hours were reported at underground 

(12.1%) and surface (87.9%) work locations.4 

There was one occupational fatality among 

nonmetal operator employees in 2004. This mining 

fatality occurred at an underground work location. 

•	 The nonmetal mine fatality rate for all work 

locations was 5.0 fatalities per 100,000 FTE 

employees, while the rate at underground work 

locations was 41.0. 

There were 550 nonfatal lost-time injuries (83 at 

underground and 467 at surface work locations) 

among nonmetal operator employees occurring at a 

rate of 2.7 injuries per 100 FTE employees. A total 

of 24,517 days lost5

 from work resulted from these 

injuries. 

•	 The underground nonfatal lost-time injury rate 

was greater than the surface injury rate (3.4 vs. 

2.6 per 100 FTE workers). 

•	 In 2004, the most frequent classification of 

nonfatal lost-time injuries involved handling 

materials (n=199; 36.2%). 

•	 Sprains and strains were the most frequently 

reported nature of injury (n=273; 49.6%). 

•	 The back was the most frequently reported part 

of the body injured (n=116; 21.1%) and 

accounted for 4,645 days lost from work. 

Distribution of Nonfatal Lost-time Injuries 

by Accident Class, 2000-2004 

10% 9% Handling materials

10% 8%

Slip or fall of person 

Hand tools 

25% 38% Powered haulage

Machinery 

All other 

Note: "Fall of ground" includes MSHA's Accident/Injury/Illness classification for fall of face, rib, 

pillar, side, or highwall (from in place); fall of roof, back, or brow (from in place); and underground 

machinery cases when the source of injury was caving rock, coal, ore, or waste. 
In 2004, 28 cases of occupational illnesses were 

reported to MSHA by nonmetal operators.6

 This 

compares to 36 cases in 2003. 

•	 Joint, tendon, or muscle inflammation or irritation accounted for the most frequently reported 

occupational illnesses (n=13; 46.4%). 

•	 In 2004, there were three cases of hearing loss or 

impairment reported to MSHA, or 10.7% of all 

illnesses. This compares to 12 cases (33.3%) in 

2003. 

•	 Other unclassified pneumoconiosis was reported 

for three nonmetal mine operator employees in 

2004. 

Mining Characteristics, 2004 

Commodity and 

Type of Employer 

Coal Operator 

Metal Operator 

No. of 

Mines 

2,011 

251 

No. of 

Companies 

-­

-­

No. of 

Employees 

73,024 

25,205 

No. of FTE 

Employees 

80,069 

26,091 

Fatality 

Rate 

28.7 

7.7 

Nonfatal 

Lost-time 

Injury Rate 

3.9 

2.1 

Nonmetal Operator 741 -­ 19,432 20,183 5.0 2.7 

Stone Operator 

Sand and Gravel Operator 

4,401 

7,074 

-­

-­

68,417 

37,000 

71,153 

33,364 

11.2 

24.0 

3.2 

2.3 

Operator Total 14,478 -­ 223,078 230,860 18.2 3.2 

Coal Contractor 

Noncoal Contractor 

-­

-­

2,550 

4,143 

30,228 

42,511 

17,964 

22,198 

27.8 

36.0 

2.6 

1.7 

Contractor Total -­ 6,693 72,739 40,162 32.4 2.1 

TOTAL 295,817 271,022 20.3 3.0 

Data may not add to totals due to independent rounding. Number of employees was rounded at the subunit level of each mine to be consistent with 

MSHA reporting. Fatality rates were computed per 100,000 FTE employees. Nonfatal lost-time injury rates were computed per 100 FTE employees. 

Data source: Publicly released files of employment and accident/injury/illness data collected by MSHA under 30 CFR 50. 

Notes: All analyses exclude office employees, except for the total number of mining operations. Further statistical methodology is 

available on the NIOSH Internet [http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/method.htm]. 1

Number of employees is the average number of persons working at individual establishments during calendar quarters of active 

operations. Employment numbers were rounded at the subunit level of each mine to be consistent with MSHA reporting. 2

Full-time equivalent employees were computed using reported employee hours (2,000 hours = 1 FTE). 3

Mining sectors: coal operators, metal operators, nonmetal operators, stone operators, sand and gravel operators, coal contractors, and

 noncoal contractors. 

4

Surface work locations include surface operations at underground mines (surface shops and yards, tipple physically located at the mine 

site), surface operations (strip or open pit mines including associated shops and yards), dredge (mining operations conducted from a 

platform floating on water), other surface operations (brine pumping, etc.), independent shops and yards not associated with a specific 

mine, and mill or preparation plant. 

5

Includes actual days away from work and/or days of restricted work activity. For permanently disabling injuries only, statutory days 

charged by MSHA were used if they exceeded the total lost workdays. 

6

Because of the complexity of attributing disease causation to the workplace, occupational illnesses may be underreported. 

To receive NIOSH documents or for more information about 

occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at 

1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636) 

1–888–232–6348 (TTY) 

e-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 

or visit the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007–169 

SAFER • HEALTHIER • PEOPLETM