About the Report

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The report compares MSHA Part 50 program data to mining-related claims filed with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC). Illinois was chosen because it is an important mining state which collects substantial data on workers’ compensation claims. The research group at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health has full access to this data set and obtained access to Illinois MSHA Part 50 data in order to perform this analysis.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Part 50 program implements MSHA's authority to investigate and utilize information pertaining to, accidents, injuries, and illnesses occurring or originating in mines. It requires operators of coal, metal, and nonmetal mines to immediately notify MSHA of accidents. Underreporting of injury and disease has been observed in mining as well as many other industries. Analysis of patterns and causes of why injuries and illnesses are not captured by or underreported to the MSHA Part 50 Program would allow agencies to improve their reporting systems. The report compares Part 50 data to claims in the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC).

Key Takeaways

• The study showed that the Part 50 program captures a higher proportion of acute injuries (43%) compared to chronic injuries or illnesses (6%) that occur in mines.
• The Part 50 program captured more cases of disease and injury associated with localized body parts compared to systemic processes.
• The Part 50 program inadequately captured diseases involving chronic exposures to chemicals or repetitive micro-trauma. Mechanisms of trauma such as “caught in/under/between an object” and “struck by an object”; and “falls”; were well reported.
• The Part 50 program poorly captured cases that were complex, severe, longer to adjudicate, or involved the use of an attorney.
• The smallest companies, measured by number of mines owned and average employment, had the lowest capture rates between the IWCC and the Part 50 program.
• Coal mines (n=51) in Illinois had more cases of injury and illness compared to metal/nonmetal (MNM) mines (n=224) after controlling for mine size.

Research Gaps

• The MSHA may consider exploring the development of relationships with individual states to require that injury and illness cases related to mining companies be reported directly to MSHA. This data is in the public domain and should therefore be made available. This would increase reporting to MSHA for these most important and significant injuries and illnesses. (page 45)

Citation

Friedman, L., Swedler, D., Almberg, K., Cohen, R. (2015). University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health. Evaluation of the Completeness of Injury and Illness Reporting in the Illinois Mining Industry: Comparing Workers’ Compensation Claims to the MSHA Part 50 Program - Final Report. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.