Under Nevada's Department of Business and Industry, the Mine Health and Education Division oversees mining health and safety throughout the state. The division focuses on ensuring mine operators comply with state and federal mine safety regulations.
For the miners, Nevada has special health and safety regulations:
- Hard hats are required in and around all surface mines and underground mines.
- Protection for the face and eyes including safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and helmets must be worn at all times.
- Muffs or earplugs are required to reduce noise.
- Respiratory masks or devices with necessary filters are required to protect against toxic gases and dust.
- Gloves are required to protect against hazards such as underground temperatures, lacerations, chemical burns, and electrical shock.
- Leather or rubber work boots with steel, reinforced toes are necessary to prevent foot injuries such as fractures, broken bones and amputations.
- Equipment Injury and Death: Miners deal with heavy equipment and machinery, often used as underground transportation for employees, materials, and supplies. Over the years, many coal workers have been killed in incidents involving powered transportation machinery and other forms of equipment. The accidents are often caused by safety violations and poorly handled or defective equipment.
- Electric Injury and Death: Working with electricity underground is far riskier than working in most other environments. Coal dust, methane emissions, humidity, and other hazards are known to cause electrocutions and other forms of electrical accidents. The serious risk of electrical injury and death in coal mines once again makes it important for coal companies to always put safety first.
- Coal Mine Explosions: Coal dust is very volatile, and methane gas is emitted during the mining process. Without proper ventilation, methane gas build-up can cause explosions, and this is why coal companies must follow safety standards to track methane levels and take steps to prevent deadly explosions.
- Slips and Falls: Humid conditions causing materials to move around in tightly confined slippery areas can cause a lot of slip and fall accidents. Many of these injuries could be avoided by companies doing more to compensate for adverse atmospheric conditions and monitoring safety for a healthier work environment.
- Flooding: Underground water leaks can cause flooding of mines during seasons of heavy rain and flash flooding. If this problem isn't addressed quickly, the walls and ceilings inside the mine may collapse and employees may get trapped.
- Roof Falls Injury and Death: Mine roofs collapsing or caving in can result in serious and fatal accidents. We investigate events such as these carefully and ask the right questions to understand how it occurred and who was responsible.
- Silicosis and pneumoconiosis
- Back and neck injuries
- Crush injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic dismemberment
- Falls and hidden mine shaft injuries
- Burn injuries
- Disfigurement, scars or deformities
- Defective equipment injuries
- Permanent hearing loss due to noise exposure