Hazard Reporting

Every injury to a mineworker, no matter how small, must be reported to whomever is in charge of first aid before the injured person reports back to work or leaves the mine. If an accident occurs, steps must be taken to remove injured mine workers to a safe place for first-aid treatment and to eliminate further damage from arising as a result of the event.

MSHA requires that every mine have materials and plans in place in the event of an emergency. The mine operator must take the following actions when an accident occurs:

• Evacuate injured mine workers.
• Take immediate action to prevent further harm.
• Notify mining authorities about the event.
• Carry out an investigation into the cause of the mining accident.
• Implement preventative measures to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
• Record the result of the investigation in a medium provided for that purpose.

Any worker who has any information about the causes of a mine accident should always inform the appropriate mining authorities. This helps ensure that the mining authorities take corrective measures to prevent another accident.

To learn more about MSHA Part 48 training requirements visit our MSHA Part 48 Subpart B Surface Mining Online Training web page.