Mining Safety Mine Safety and Health Administration

Mining Safety Mine Safety and Health Administration
The Mine Safety and Health Administration is part of the United States Government, in the Department of the Interior. It is given power by the Federal Mine Safety Act of 1977 and also the Coal Act of 1969.

It is the agency that is charged with enforcing compliance with mandatory health and Safety standards that are meant to prevent fatal mine accidents.

It works to reduce the frequency of all accidents, and to promote better health and safety conditions at all of the nations mines. The Mining Safety and Health Administration conducts regular health and safety inspections at mines located around the United States.

It is divided into different areas. There are specifically 11 coal mining districts in the United States, each that cover a different area of the United States.

In a second division, it is also divided into another 6 districts for Metals and Non metal mining, for all of the other types of mining in the United States. Each of the districts in both divisions represents a different geographical region for mining.

Since 1891 the Congress and the United States Government have tried to control mine and mining safety, but it was not until a big accident would occur would public pressure push the government to enact a new law or set of regulations.

There was a Federal Coal Mines Safety Act in 1952, the Coal Mine Safety Act of 1969, and the Federal Mining Act of 1977. Each of these acts increased the supervision and the safety requirements, that the Mining Safety and Health Administration is responsible for administering.

Each of these Federal Acts have worked to decrease mine accidents, which worked to decrease the number of deaths, from a high of 272 in 1977 only 22 deaths in the year 2007.