During an emergency at a mine, the last thing anyone needs is confusion about who to call and how to properly report the incident. That’s why MSHA created an easy way for mine operators to report emergencies any time of day. But these details about how and when to report mine fatalities and other types of events may not be clear to everyone.
So, what is MSHA’s “One Call Does It All”? MSHA’s “Once Call Does It All” is a reference to the phone number, 800-746-1553, and the legal requirements for U.S. mine operators to immediately report emergencies 24 hours a day within 15 minutes of becoming aware of the emergency.
Mine Emergency?
Call 800-746-1553
The idea of “One Call Does It All” is very straightforward – Call MSHA immediately to report an emergency. But there are legal requirements around what types of emergencies are immediately reportable and the time limits for reporting. It’s absolutely critical to understand these requirements to adhere to MSHA regulations and avoid costly citations when unplanned events occur.
Do I Still Need To Call 911?
YES! If your mine is located within a 911 service area, it’s extremely important to call for emergency services in case of fire, when the situation is life-threatening, or when other immediate medical attention is required.
In fact, even though your window for calling MSHA is very short, it makes practical sense to call for emergency services FIRST. Every moment counts during an emergency.
MSHA’s “One Call Does It All” Initiative
MSHA’s primary mission is to “prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners.” As part of those efforts and to avoid any confusion about how to report emergencies, the Emergency Mine Evacuation Final Rule published in the Federal Register in 2006 created a single point of contact for immediately reportable emergencies.
When a mine emergency or fatality happens, mine operators are legally required to call 800-746-1553 to notify MSHA within 15 minutes. This number is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
TIP! – Go to our Resources page for a link to MSHA’s Emergency page.
When Do I Need To Call MSHA?
MSHA clearly outlines the types of emergencies that require immediate reporting within 15 minutes of the time a mine operator knows or should have known about the emergency. So, when any of the following situations occur, you should make the call and report any of these incidents:
Death or Injury
- Death at a mine
- Event at a mine which causes death or bodily injury to an individual not at the mine at the time the event occurs
- Injury at a mine with potential to cause death
Fire or Explosion
- Unplanned ignition or explosion of gas, dust, blasting agent, or explosive
- Underground mines – Unplanned fire not extinguished within 10 minutes of discovery
- Surface mines and surface areas of underground mines – Unplanned fire not extinguished within 30 minutes of discovery
Inundation, Entrapment, Collapse, or Equipment Failure
- Unplanned inundation by a liquid or gas
- Unstable condition which requires emergency action, evacuation, or failure
- Unplanned roof or rib fall in active workings that impairs ventilation or impedes passage
- Entrapment for more than 30 minutes or which has a reasonable potential to cause death
- Damage to hoisting equipment in a shaft or slope which endangers an individual or which interferes with use of the equipment for more than 30 minutes
- Coal or rock outburst that causes evacuation or disrupts mining activity for more than 60 minutes
Report A Hazard or Request An Inspection
In addition to reporting emergencies, the One Call Does It All number can be used for a variety of other non-emergency reasons. You can call to request and inspection, to report a hazardous condition, or file a complaint.
TIP! – Go to our Resources page for a link to MSHA’s Emergencies page for detailed descriptions of immediately reportable accidents.
What Information Do I Need To Provide MSHA When I Call?
You should be prepared to provide the following information to MSHA staff when you call to report the emergency by phone.
- Mine operator name and MSHA ID
- Description and nature of the emergency
- Details about the fatality or injury location at the mine
Investigation of Emergency
If the emergency requires a follow-up investigation, the MSHA District Manager will make that decision and inform the mine operator within 24 hours of the emergency notification.
Each mine operator is also required to perform an investigation of the emergency and gather the following information, at a minimum:
- The date and hour of occurrence
- The date the investigation began
- The names of individuals participating in the investigation
- A description of the site
- An explanation of the accident or injury, including a description of any equipment involved
- and relevant events before and after the occurrence, and any explanation of the cause of any
- injury, the cause of any accident or cause of any other event which caused an injury
- The name, occupation, and experience of any miner involved
- A sketch, where pertinent, including dimensions depicting the occurrence
- A description of steps taken to prevent a similar occurrence in the future
- Identification of any report submitted under §50.20 of this part
Mine operators are required to provide a copy of their own investigation report to MSHA personnel upon request.
Filing An Investigation Report With Form 7000-1
When an accident or injury occurs at a mine, MSHA requires that mine operators use Form 7000-1 to report the incident.
Among other information required on the form, you’ll need to identify the accident and location of the incident with their associated codes:
Accident Codes
01 – Death
02 – Serious injury
03 – Entrapment
04 – Inundation
05 – Gas or dust ignition
06 – Mine fire
07 – Explosives
08 – Roof fall
09 – Outburst
10 – Impounding dam
11 – Hoisting
12 – Off-site injury
Location Codes
01 – Surface Location
02 – Surface at Underground Mine
03 – Strip/Open Pit Mine
04 – Surface Auger Operation
05 – Culm Bank/Refuse Pile
06 – Dredge Mining
12 – Other Surface Mining
17 – Independent Shops (with own MSHA ID)
30 – Mill, Preparation Plant, etc.
99 – Office Facilities
Underground Location
01 – Vertical Shaft
02 – Slope/Inclined Shaft
03 – Face
04 – Intersection
05 – Underground Shop/Office
06 – Other
Underground Mining Method
01 – Longwall
02 – Shortwall
03 – Conventional Stoping
05 – Continuous Mining
06 – Hand
07 – Caving
08 – Other
TIP! – Go to our Resources page for a link to MSHA’s Online Forms and Filing page to locate the 7000-1 Accident, Injury, and Illness Report Form.
30 CFR Part 50 – MSHA Notification and Investigation Regulations
For specific details on the regulations behind mine accident reporting and investigations, you’ll need to get familiar with Title 30 CFR – Part 50 Notification, Investigation, and Reports of Accidents, Injuries, Illnesses, Employment, and Coal Production in Mines.
The purpose of Part 50 is to “implement MSHA’s authority to investigate, and to obtain and utilize information pertaining to, accidents, injuries, and illnesses occurring or originating in mines.”
Part 50 outlines regulations that cover:
- Notification, Investigation, and Preservation of Evidence
- Reporting of Accidents, Injuries, and Illnesses
- Quarterly Employment and Coal Production Report
- Maintenance of Records and Verification of Information
TIP! – Go to our Resources page for a link to MSHA’s Title 30 CFR – Part 50 Notification, Investigation, and Reports of Accidents, Injuries, Illnesses, Employment, and Coal Production in Mines.
U.S. Mine Fatalities Reported By Commodity
It’s important to draw distinctions between typically mine fatalities reported on an annual basis versus the types of mine disasters that come to mind when we think of mining accidents.
For example, in 2018, 60% of mine fatalities were due to Powered Haulage, meaning miners were killed primarily by vehicles or conveyors. And 73% of the total fatalities were at surface stone or surface sand and gravel mines. This is contrary to what most people think of when someone mentions the dangers of mining.
Beyond annual fatality reporting, MSHA tracks “Mining Disasters,” or mining events in which there were 5 or more fatalities. Of course, the more dramatic nature of these mining accidents attract more media attention drawing the focus away from the dangers of day-to-day mining work.
For example, of 15 mine disasters since 1980:
- 100% of them were at coal mines
- 73% of them were caused by an explosion of some kind (likely methane or coal dust)
- 30% of those fatalities occurred in West Virginia.
- An average of 11 miners were killed per disaster
TIP! – Go to our Resources page for a link to All Mining Disasters 1839-Present.