SOURCE: MSHA | May 31, 2025
Arlington, VA — Alarmed by a recent series of serious injuries to miners resulting from falls from height, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.
Three such incidents have occurred so far this year, says MSHA, which describes two of the cases in the alert.
The agency reported seven miner fatalities resulting from falls from height from 2022 to 2024. During that same time frame, it issued 767 violations that cited fall protection standards.
MSHA calls on mine operators to develop an effective fall prevention and protection program that provides and ensures proper use of fall protection when the danger of falling is present. Operators should train miners on fall prevention and protection, as well as prohibit work in unprotected areas.
Other best practices:
- Provide and maintain safe access to all work areas.
- Use lifts or ladders to access elevated work areas safely.
- Install adequate warning signals and barricades for openings above, below or near travelways where miners or materials may fall.
- Ensure miners wear slip-resistant footwear and use three points of contact (two feet and one hand or one foot and two hands) when accessing mobile equipment and elevated surfaces.
- Conduct workplace examinations to identify and correct unsafe conditions.
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