Noncoal Contractor Mining Facts - 2001 

1. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 defines an independent contractor as "any person, partnership,

corporation, subsidiary of a corporation, firm, association or other organization that contracts to perform services or 

construction at a mine." Contractors that perform specific types of work (e.g., shaft and slope sinking, material 

handling, drilling and blasting) are required to report the number of employees who perform work at coal and noncoal 

mines. 

2. In 2001, 4,123 contracting companies reported employment at noncoal mines (i.e., metal, nonmetal, sand and gravel, and 

stone mines) to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). 

3. A total of 45,367 noncoal contractor employees, corresponding to 23,580 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees,

1

 was 

reported to MSHA in 2001. This is a decrease of 8.2% in FTE noncoal contractor employees from 2000. 

• The highest proportion of noncoal contractor employees was found in surface production operations (57.0%),2

followed by processing mills (37.7%) and underground operations (5.3%). 

• The median number of noncoal contractor employees per mine was 3.3.

3 This compares with a median of 3.0 per mine 

for coal contractor employees, 9.0 per mine for coal operator employees, and 4.5 per mine for noncoal operator 

employees. 

4. Ten work-related fatalities occurred among noncoal contractor employees in 2001, compared to 11 in 2000. 

• In 2001, noncoal contractor employees had a fatality rate of 42.4 per 100,000 FTE employees, compared to 32.7 for 

coal contractor employees. 

• Seven out of the 10 fatalities occurred in surface production operations. 

5. There were 391 nonfatal lost-time injuries among noncoal contractor employees, occurring at a rate of 1.7 per 100 FTE 

employees in 2001. A total of 16,703 days lost from work4

 resulted from these injuries. 

• For noncoal contractor employees, the mean and median number of days lost from work as a result of nonfatal losttime injuries was 42.7 and 13.0, respectively. The median number of days lost from work for noncoal operator 

employees was 13.0 days. 

• The injury rate among noncoal contractor employees in underground mining operations was 2.7 per 100 FTE 

employees, compared to 1.4 in surface mining operations. 

• The most frequently reported types of accidents among noncoal contractor employees were handling material 

(n = 124, 31.7%) and slips or falls (n = 90, 23.0%). 

• Of the most frequently reported injury (greater than 10% of total), the most severe injuries (as measured by the 

median number of days lost from work) were associated with fractures and chips (median = 45.0 days lost from 

work). 

• The back (n = 71, 18.2%) was the most frequently reported part of body injured, accounting for 2,421 days lost from 

work. 

• Among noncoal contractor employees, those with the job title of “mechanic/repairman/helper” had the greatest

number of nonfatal lost-time injuries (n = 71, 18.2%). 

6. Eleven cases of occupational illness in noncoal contractor employees were reported to MSHA in 2001. There were three

cases of dermatitis, two cases of systemic poisoning, two cases of noncontact electric arc burn , and one case each of 

chemical burn, hearing loss or impairment, heat/sunstroke, and joint, tendon, or muscle inflammation or irritations. 

1 Computed using reported employee hours (2,000 hours = 1 FTE); excludes office employees. 2 Surface production operations include strip or open pit mines, dredge operations, other surface mining, and independent shops and yards. 3

Excludes office workers. 4 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.

July 2003
Delivering on the Nation's Promise:

Safety and health at work for all people 

Through research and prevention 

For information about occupational safety and health topics contact NIOSH at: 

 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674) 

 Fax: 513-533-8573 

 E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov 

 www.cdc.gov/niosh 

SAFER • HEALTHIER • PEOPLETM

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-135