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Safety Alert
Fall Protection
From 2022 to 2024, seven miners died after falling from heights. At the same time, MSHA issued 767 violations that cited fall protection standards. Of those violations, 228 were issued in conjunction with 107(a) imminent danger orders. So far in 2025, three miners were seriously injured by falling from heights.
Best Practices:
- Establish an effective fall prevention and protection program.
- Provide and ensure proper use of fall protection where there is a danger of falling.
- Ensure fall protection has suitable fall arrest connections and secure anchorage systems.
- Train miners on fall prevention and protection. Prohibit work in unprotected areas.
- Provide and maintain safe access to all working places. Use personnel lifts or ladders to access elevated workplaces 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 when accessing mobile equipment and elevated surfaces.
- Conduct workplace examinations to identify and correct conditions that may adversely affect the safety or health of miners.
- Find additional information and resources on OSHA’s Fall Protection Webpage.
Miners and mine operators can find safety and health information on MSHA.gov.
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