MSHA reports all-time low injury rate for 2025

The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reports that injury rates fell to an all-time low last year.

Also known as the total recordable injury rate, the all-injury rate throughout mining was 1.74 per 200,000 hours worked in 2025 – down from 1.82 in 2024.

Injuries are classified as reportable based on established criteria. Once an injury meets MSHA’s reporting requirements, it is included in the rate calculation.

The all-injury rate is the mining industry’s measure of safety, reflecting the number of reportable injuries per hour worked. The number is calculated by multiplying the number of all reported injuries by 200,000 – the hours 100 full-time employees work in a year – then dividing by the total hours worked. It includes all reportable injuries, including fatalities, lost-time injuries, injuries involving restricted work activity and other injuries requiring medical treatment.

“These historic safety numbers demonstrate that the Trump administration’s efforts to revitalize America’s mining industry are being met with a parallel commitment to worker protection,” says Keith Sonderling, acting secretary of labor. “We are ensuring that as we increase domestic mineral production, we are also achieving the highest possible safety standards to keep American workers safe on the job.”

Wayne Palmer, assistant secretary at MSHA, says safety remains the most important value in the mining industry.

“Keeping miners safe is our top priority, and seeing the rate of injuries decrease is cause for celebration,” Palmer says. “We will continue to work with the mining community to ensure that miners have the tools to stay safe on the job and return to their homes and communities at the end of each day.”

By recording and analyzing injury data, MSHA says it can implement stronger safety improvements such as better training and smarter enforcement. The agency says these steps have led to reduced injuries.

“Tracking injuries and fatalities is the most effective measurement of the impact our work is having on the mining community and workers,” says Kelvin Blue, acting deputy director of MSHA’s Program Evaluation & Information Resources. “By studying this data, we are able to improve the training and technology we use to work with mines across the country.”