Blog

When Your Hands Stop Listening: Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)

Numb fingers. A tingling that doesn’t go away by morning. Fingertips that turn pale and cold, even indoors. These are early warning signs of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) — a hazard tied directly to the vibrating tools that are standard equipment across mining. Think jackleg drills, rock drills, chipping hammers and grinders. Vibration is often measured in m/s² — short for […]

Think About This: Protecting Your Hearing Before It’s Too Late 

Protecting your hearing is one of the most important things you can do every day as a miner. Hearing tests performed on miners show that nearly one in four often can’t understand speech because of the hearing losses they’ve suffered on the job due to improper use of or failure to utilize protective equipment. Watch this new episode […]

Managing Hazards: The Hierarchy of Controls

In 2025, the mining industry’s all-injury rate hit an historic low. According to MSHA, there were 1.74 injuries per 200,000 hours worked by miners, down from 1.82 the year before. But that number didn’t drop on its own. It’s the result of better training through CORESafety and other safety and health management systems. It’s smarter engineering, and a framework […]

Think About This: How to Keep Your Hands and Fingers Safe When Working in Mines

Protecting your hands and fingers is one of the most important things you can do every day on the job. Think about this — It doesn’t take much to injure them, so staying aware is critical, no matter what task you’re doing. What if you’re working on a machine that jams up unexpectedly, exposing your hands to a sudden hazard? Or […]

Work the CORESafety Way: See the Hazards. Manage the Risks.

Every shift brings new challenges. Ground conditions can change. You may be assigned to operate equipment in different areas. The weather can vary from day to day, hour to hour. Even routine tasks can introduce new hazards when something changes. That’s why situational awareness and hazard recognition are key principles of the CORESafety framework. Rather […]

THINK ABOUT THIS:How You Can Beat The Heat

A Heat Safety Episode from CORESafety TV Welcome to a new episode of Think About This, created for you by CORESafety TV and the National Mining Association (NMA). Whether you work underground or on the surface, hot conditions are a reality of mining. That’s why high temperatures, physical labor, heavy personal protective equipment (PPE) and long shifts can all place added stress on the […]

Think About This: How to Work Safely with BEVS(Battery-Electric Vehicles) 

Does your mine include equipment that operates on electric batteries?  If so, is your fire response plan prepared for any hazardous situations that those batteries might create?  Think about this — Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are increasingly coming underground in U.S. mines — and that’s good news. No diesel particulate, less heat, quieter drifts and lower ventilation costs. Industry analysts expect […]

CORESafety TV (June 2026): SLIPS, TRIPS and FALLS: Stay Alert and Stay Safe

Welcome to the June 2026 edition of CORESafety TV — the online video program from the National Mining Association. Slips, trips and falls — these types of accidents happen far more often on the job than you might think. But if you’ll always stay alert and stay aware of where you’re walking and climbing, you can greatly lessen the risk of […]

Respect Electricity: A CORESafety Daily Reminder 

Electricity is one of the most significant hazards in mining. Whether you work in a coal mine, surface mine or other metal/nonmetal operation, electrical equipment is everywhere. Power cables, substations, drills, pumps, generators, conveyors, battery chargers and mobile equipment all create serious risks if they are not handled correctly. Unlike some hazards, electricity cannot always be seen, heard or smelled. […]

THINK ABOUT THIS: Attention to Safety

A Safety Reminder Episode from CORESafety TV Welcome to the new “Attention to Safety” episode of Think About This, created for you by CORESafety TV and the National Mining Association (NMA). Accidents don’t just happen. They usually occur when we ignore safety rules or don’t have enough information about hazards. Sometimes accidents happen because we don’t have the right training about what to do on the […]