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 that’s been quietly guiding decisions on mine sites for decades called “The Hierarchy of Controls.”

Hazard recognition is one of the first steps in risk management. Here’s what to ask yourself on the job –

• What could possibly go wrong?
• What might the consequences be?
• How likely is it that something will happen?
• What can I do about it?
• What WILL I actually do? How could other processes be affected?

Once a hazard is identified, the Hierarchy of Controls tells you where to look first for a fix. It ranks your options from most to least effective.

In mining, this order shows up in virtually everything we do. If you approach your work with these five (5) considerations in mind, then you’ll be more equipped to recognize and control hazards throughout the day.

To make the Hierarchy of Controls easier to understand, here are some real world examples for you – 

CORESafety

To learn more about CORESafety, visit our website by clicking here.