2022 MSHA Fatalities

MSHA Stakeholder Meeting

October 20, 2022

Marcus Smith

Chief, Accident Investigations

MSHA Enforcement

1
Accident Classifications

2

Machinery, 4

Powered Haulage, 1

Slip or Fall of Person, 

1

Electrical, 1

Drowning, 1

Engulfment, 2
Number of Mine Employees

3

50+, 4

20-49, 1

19 or less, 5
Experience at the Mine

4

1 Yr or Less, 4

>4 to 6 Yrs, 2

>10 Yrs, 2

>2 to 4 Yrs, 1

>1 to 2 Yrs, 1
Experience at the Activity

5

1 Yr or Less, 3

>2 to 4 Yrs, 2

>10 Yrs, 3

>1 to 2 Yrs, 1

>4 to 6 Yrs, 1
Mine Employees and Contractors

6

Miner, 9

Contractor, 1
Giant Cement Company

Dorchester, South Carolina

July 21, 2022

A miner received fatal injuries 

when his right arm became 

entangled in an auger (screw) 

conveyor.

7
Best Practices

• Secure all conveyor covers in place during normal operation. 

• Keep tools, clothing, and body parts away from moving conveyors.

• De-energize, lock out, tag out, and block machinery against hazardous 

motion before performing repairs or maintenance. Never perform 

work on a moving conveyor.

• Examine work areas and equipment. Report hazards to miners and 

assure hazards are corrected and recorded.

8
Tunnel Ridge Mine

Valley Grove, West Virginia

August 17, 2022

A general inside laborer died when he 

was caught between a supply car and 

its coupler. The victim was sitting on 

the supply car which was coupled to a 

locomotive parked in a track spur. 

The locomotive was struck by another 

locomotive pulling three loaded cars 

into the mine. The impact knocked 

the victim off the supply car, killing 

him.

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Best Practices

• Assure track switches are in the proper position for your direction of 

travel and the latches are in contact with the rail.

• Make sure miners are in a safe location away from equipment parked 

in a track spur when other equipment is passing along the main rail 

line.

• Make sure miners communicate their location and intended 

movements with the dispatcher. Repeat the switch alignment back to 

the dispatcher, where applicable.

10
Spanish Springs

Washoe, Nevada

September 28, 2022

A miner died when he was 

engulfed beneath several feet of 

material from a collapsed 

stockpile. The miner was 

working close to the toe of the 

stockpile to remove material off 

the top of a surge tunnel’s feeder 

to clear a blockage.

11
Best Practices

• Equip feeders with mechanical clearing devices to prevent exposing miners 

to hazards from falling or sliding material.

• Make sure miners follow procedures to safely clear blockages from feeders 

and stay out of areas where there is a danger of falling or sliding material.

• Operators should trim over-steepened stockpile faces to the angle of repose.

12
Near Misses involving

falls from heights

13
West Elk Mine

Gunnison, Colorado

July 25, 2022

A miner fell approximately 35 feet 

from a preparation plant and suffered 

a broken leg. The miner was not 

wearing fall protection.

14
The Monarch Cement Company

Humboldt, Kansas

September 9, 2022

A contract truck driver was attempting 

to close the hatch on top of his trailer 

when he fell approximately ten feet to 

the ground. The driver was not 

wearing fall protection. The driver 

was admitted to the hospital with 

broken ribs and other injuries.

15
Fall Protection Issuances

MSHA issued 150 imminent danger orders between January 2021 and 

September 2022, because miners were working, where there was a danger 

of falling, without fall protection. The most common violations were:

1. Truck drivers climbing on top of their vehicles

2. Mechanics working on equipment, and

3. Plant workers climbing on equipment.

Some of these involved supervisors, who were ordered down from 

dangerous locations.

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Fall Protection Issuances

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Mine operators and independent contractors must always comply with fall 

protection safety standards.

1. 56/57.15005 Safety belts and lines, and 

2. 77.1710(g) Protective clothing (Safety belts and lines)

From January 2021 to September 2022 these standards have been cited 392 

times.
Fall Protection

MSHA Stakeholder Meeting

October 20, 2022

Ben Gandy

General Engineer

MSHA Technical Support

18
Non-Fatal Days Lost (NFDL) Injuries by 

Classification 2017 - Present

19
Slip or Fall of Person Fatalities by Year

2017 – Present 

20

Year

Slip or Fall of Person 

Fatalities

Total 

Fatalities Percentage of Total Fatalities

2017 1 28 3.6%

2018 0 29 0.0%

2019 4 28 14.3%

2020 4 29 13.8%

2021 2 37 5.4%

Oct-22 3 25 12.0%
21

Contributing Factors for Slip and Fall of Person 

Fatalities and Injuries

1. Not providing or maintaining safe access in plants and surface facilities

2. Not providing or maintaining safe access on mobile equipment 

(e.g. falls while conducting maintenance and truck tarping)

3. Getting on and off mobile equipment 

4. Improperly wearing or not wearing fall protection 
22

Fall Prevention Risk and Hazard 

Identification and Mitigation

1. Understanding Regulations and Standards

2. Hazard Identification

3. Hazard Mitigation

4. Product Selection

5. Training
23

Fall Protection Equipment

Anchorage/Anchorage Connector

Body Wear

Connecting Devices
24

Falls While Getting On and Off Equipment 

& Truck Tarping
1. Train miners to recognize fall hazards and assure that safe work 

procedures are discussed and established.

2. Always use fall protection equipment and safety belts with lines, when 

working at heights and near openings where there is a danger of falling.

3. Have properly designed gates, safety chains, handrails, guards, and assure 

covers are securely in place at openings through which persons may fall.

4. Always use the "Three Points of Contact" method. Be sure to maintain 

contact with equipment by using either two hands and one foot, or one 

hand and two feet when mounting and dismounting equipment.

5. Use automatic tarp deploying systems to prevent people from working 

from heights. 

6. Provide, use, and maintain safe truck hatch access facilities.

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Fall Protection Best Practices 
QUARTERLY STAKEHOLDER MEETING

HEALTH – BRIEFING AND COMMUNICATION

OCTOBER 20, 2022

Gregory B. Meikle, Chief Division of Health - Enforcement

26
27

Coal and Metal/Nonmetal Mines

• MSHA will conduct spot inspections for silica at metal/nonmetal (MNM) and coal mines in 

accordance with section 103(i) of the Mine Act.

o At mines with repeated overexposures to silica, mines may be inspected every 15-days at 

irregular intervals.

• Shaft and slope sinking(Coal)/removing overburden(MNM): 

o MSHA will sample occupations known to have high risk of exposure to silica when sinking shafts 

or slopes or removing overburden.

• For overexposures over 100 micrograms (existing PEL), MSHA will require: 

o For MNM mines, abatement within a period of time.

• For overexposures not fully abated, MSHA will issue a 104b order. 

o For coal mines, MSHA will encourage mine operator to change the dust control and mine 

ventilation plans and review plans/exposures after changes are made.

Silica Enforcement Initiative
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Continuous Mining 

Machine Opr.

25%

Highwall Drill 

Opr.

11%

Eight Other 

Occupations

Bulldozer 11%

Opr.

10%

Shuttle Car Opr. 

(Standard)

10%

Roof Bolter 

(Return)

8%

Jack Setter (LW)

8%

LW Opr. (Tailgate)

7%

Roof Bolter (Intake)

4%

LW Opr. (Headgate)

3%

Shuttle Car Opr. 

(Off Standard)

3%

Coal CY2021 Samples > 100 μg/m3 Silica

29
Continuous Mining 

Machine Opr.

19%

Highwall Drill 

Opr.

17%

Bulldozer Opr.

15%

Shuttle Car 

Opr. 

(Standard)

14%

Roof Bolter 

(Return)

13%

Five Other Occup

6%

Jack Setter (LW)

4%

Roof Bolter (Intake)

4%

Scoop Opr.

4%

LW Opr. (Tailgate)

2%

LW Opr. (Headgate)

2%

Coal CY2022 Q1-Q3 Samples > 100 μg/m3 Silica

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Best Practices in Dust Control

31

Coal Mining Occupations with the Highest Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica CY2022

Occupation *Best Practices

Continuous Mining Machine 

Operator

Water spray systems at the cutting drum or boom; volume and location

Increased face ventilation

Highwall Drill Operator Enclosed cab filtration systems (Environmental)

Dry Dust Collector System or wet drilling or suppression

Bulldozer Operator Enclosed cab filtration systems (Environmental)

Equipment maintenance and cab cleaning

Roof Bolter Operator Working up-wind of dust generating activity

Provide, maintain, and clean an approved dust collector system

Longwall Face Occupations Increased face ventilation; both velocity and quantity

Shearer-mounted spray systems (shearer-clearer)

Shuttle Car Operator Exhausting face ventilation

Position operator on the opposite side of scrubber exhaust

*A comprehensive list of Best Practices can be found at the link below only 2 are listed here for the various occupations.
32

Abatement Measures for Dust Overexposures

 Ventilation Water Ventilation 

and Water

Dust 

Collector

Enclosed 

Cab 

Filtration 

Systems 

Increased 

Maintenance

Work 

Practices 

/ 

Working 

Up-Wind

Other

Continuous Mining 

Machine Operator 9.1% 33.3% 33.3% 0.0% 0.0% 3.0% 15.2% 6.1%

Highwall Drill 

Operator 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 11.8% 58.8% 29.4% 0.0%

Bulldozer Operator 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 8.3% 91.7% 0.0% 0.0%

Roof Bolter 

Operator 14.3% 19.0% 9.5% 14.3% 0.0% 4.8% 38.1% 0.0%

Longwall Face 

Occupations 0.0% 63.6% 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 9.1% 9.1% 9.1%

Shuttle Car 

Operator 0.0% 36.8% 15.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 31.6% 15.8%

% Controls by Category CY 2022 Qtr 1-3

Occupation
Laborer/cleanup

26%

Crusher 

operators

15%

Utility 

12%

Stone cutters

9%

Dry screening

8%

Baggers

7%

Misc.

7%

Powered haulage

5%

Truck

4%

Kiln drying

4%

Drillers

3%

MNM CY2021 Samples > 100 μg/m3 Silica

33
Stone cutters

20%

Crusher 

operators

15%

Baggers

12% Laborer 

/cleanup

11%

Utility

9%

Truck

8%

Misc.

7%

Cutting mach 

oper

5%

Dry screening

5%

Kiln drying

4%

Powered haulage

4%

MNM CY2022 Q1-Q3 Samples > 100 μg/m3 Silica

34
Best Practices in Dust Control

35

M/NM Mining Occupations with the Highest Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica CY2022

Occupation *Best Practices

Stone Cutter/ Polisher Wet cutting when possible

Local Exhaust Ventilation system at the workstation and or area

Crusher Operator Implement a properly designed wet spray system

Maintain isolation/enclosures and Local Exhaust Ventilation system

Baggers Utilize dual-nozzle bagging system for 50- to 100-lb bags

Local Exhaust Ventilation system or Overhead Air Supply Island System 

Truck/Powered Haulage Enclosed Cab / Dust Collector

Water Travelways

Labor/Maintenance/Utility Good housekeeping; no dry sweeping or dry material clean-up

Control dust from sources such as outside air, dirty clothes, cloth chairs, etc.

Screening Use wet suppression or Local Exhaust Ventilation

Isolation and enclosure

Kiln Environmental Enclosure/Control Room/Maintenance

Water
36

MNM Abatement Measures for Dust Overexposures

% Controls by Category CY 2022 Qtr 1-3

Occupation Enclosed Cab Filtration 

Systems Ventilation Water Dust Collector / LEV Increased Maintenance Housekeeping / Work 

Practices Isolation

Drilling and Blasting 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%

Mobile Equipment 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%

Crusher Operator 0% 0% 27% 0% 64% 9% 0%

Screening 0% 25% 0% 0% 75% 0% 0%

Cutting /Splitting 0% 26% 11% 42% 0% 0% 21%

Kiln 0% 0% 25% 0% 75% 0% 0%

Bagger 0% 17% 0% 50% 33% 0% 0%

Laborer/Maint./Utility 0% 0% 43% 7% 36% 14% 0%
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• https://www.msha.gov/part-90-coal-miners

30CFR Part 90.100(c) Mandatory examinations. For each miner who begins work at a 

coal mine for the first time, the operator shall provide examinations specified in 

§ 72.100(a) as follows:

(1) An initial examination no later than 30 days after beginning employment;

(2) A follow-up examination no later than 3 years after the initial examination in 

paragraph (c)(1); and

(3) A follow-up examination no later than 2 years after the examinations in 

paragraph (c)(2) if the chest x-ray shows evidence of pneumoconiosis or the 

spirometry examination indicates evidence of decreased lung function. For this 

purpose, evidential criteria will be defined by NIOSH.

Part 90 Miner Outreach Campaign