DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

September 2008

NONMETAL OPERATOR 

MINING FACTS – 2005

Mining Operations 

In 2005, a total of 739 nonmetal mining operations 

reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health 

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

gypsum, salt) comprised 5.0% of all operations. 

• Mines producing common clay comprised 26.9% 

(n=199) 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. 

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Nonmetal Mining Nonmetal Mining Operations Operations

739 Mining Operations

Spotted randomly within counties

Employees 

A total of 19,678 employees,1 corresponding to 

20,014 full-time equivalent (FTE)2 employees, were 

reported to MSHA by nonmetal mine operators in 

2005. 

0

50

100

150

200

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number of Employee Hours

(millions)

Coal Operator Metal Operator Nonmetal Operator

Stone Operator Sand & Gravel Oper Coal Contractor

Noncoal Contractor

• Within the mining sectors,3 nonmetal mine 

operator employees accounted for 6.9% of all 

employee hours reported. 

• Employee hours were reported at underground 

(11.9%) and surface (88.1%) work locations.4

Fatalities 

There were four occupational fatalities in nonmetal 

mines in 2005, compared to one fatality in 2004. 

• The nonmetal operator fatality rate was 20.0 per 

100,000 FTE employees. 

Nonfatal Lost-time Injuries 

There were 509 nonfatal lost-time injuries (80 at 

underground and 429 at surface work locations) 

among nonmetal operator employees occurring at a 

rate of 2.5 injuries per 100 FTE employees. A total 

of 24,555 days lost5 from work resulted from these 

injuries. 

• The underground nonfatal lost-time injury rate 

was greater than the surface injury rate (3.3 vs. 

2.4 per 100 FTE workers). 

• In 2005, the most frequent classification of 

nonfatal lost-time injuries involved handling 

materials (n=195; 38.3%). 

• Sprains and strains were the most frequently 

reported nature of injury (n=232; 45.6%). 

• The back was the most frequently reported body 

part injured (n=89; 17.5%) and accounted for 

3,978 days lost from work. 

Distribution of Nonfatal Lost-time Injuries

by Accident Class, 2001-2005

39%

9% 9% 8%

26%

9%

Handling materials

Slip or fall of person

Machinery

Hand tools

Powered haulage

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.
Mining Characteristics, 2005 

Commodity and 

Type of Employer 

No. of 

Mines 

No. of 

Companies 

No. of 

Employees1

No. of FTE

Employees2

Fatality 

Rate 

Nonfatal 

Lost-time 

Injury Rate 

Coal Operator 2,063 -- 78,281 87,184 19.5 3.5 

Metal Operator 263 -- 26,442 27,773 18.0 2.4 

Nonmetal Operator 739 -- 19,678 20,014 20.0 2.5 

Stone Operator 4,490 -- 69,759 73,650 20.4 3.1 

Sand and Gravel Operator 7,111 -- 37,705 34,258 26.3 2.5 

Operator Total 14,666 -- 231,865 242,879 20.6 3.0 

Coal Contractor -- 2,503 32,639 20,136 24.8 2.7 

Noncoal Contractor -- 4,297 46,623 25,590 7.8 1.6 

Contractor Total -- 6,800 79,262 45,726 15.3 2.1 

TOTAL 311,127 288,605 19.8 2.9 

M 

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. Analyses of fatalities exclude all 

individuals under 17 years of age and all individuals who were not classified as employees of a mining operator or mining contractor. 

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. 

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. 

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. 2008-152 

SAFER • HEALTHIER • PEOPLET