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MSHA's Letter of Appreciation for the Work of Americas Miners on National Miners Day

Lexington Herald Leader - December 05, 2022 

On National Miners Day, join me in saying thank you to our country’s vital workers 

Each day in America, thousands of people head off to their jobs in the nation’s mining industry. As someone who grew up in a mining community with miners in my family, I know how demanding their work is and how much the industry depends on their unique skills and knowledge. I also have a deep respect for the people who proudly call themselves miners and the communities where they live. 
  
At the Mine Safety and Health Administration, countless employees are themselves former miners or, like me, raised in mining families. We know what Congress meant when it declared that the miner is the industry’s most precious resource. 
  
Miners are an invaluable part of country’s workforce and are responsible for supplying the raw materials our country – and the world – depends on for so many basic needs. Hard-working miners help supply cement, copper, and sand and gravel for the construction and transportation industries; coal needed to make steel to build; and the many metals without which our computers, phones, and cars would not exist. 
  
Each December, our nation marks National Miners Day to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of America’s miners. This year, on Dec. 6, my colleagues and I at the U.S. Department of Labor encourage you to take some time to pause and appreciate the debt we owe to these dedicated professionals. Our miners and their families deserve our gratitude for all they give — and have given — to strengthen our nation and our economy. 
  
We too must appreciate and honor the memories of miners whose lives were taken in accidents and mine disasters such as Monongah, Sunshine, and Robena. We must also remember the thousands of miners who suffered and died too young because of preventable occupational illnesses such as Black Lung disease and silicosis. 
  
Every day, we at MSHA are focused on our mission: to enforce the nation’s mine safety and health laws and work together with labor, mine operators, and government partners to ensure that miners return home to their families and communities safe and healthy when their shift is over. 
  
In the past year, we have launched efforts to better protect miners from immediate dangers at work and the longer-term effects of health hazards such as exposure to silica and coal dust. Health hazards are hard to identify and occupational illnesses develop over time based on a miner’s level of exposure. Because miners’ health, as well as their safety, must always be the top priority, we created our “Miner Health Matters” campaign to inform and educate all miners of their rights to report health hazards and the importance of regular health evaluations. 
  
MSHA’s Miner Health Matters effort also includes our work on a proposed rule to better protect all miners from exposure to respirable crystalline silica; a silica enforcement initiative; reforms to our Part 90 program for coal miners who have already developed a pneumoconiosis and have rights to work in a healthier environment; and COVID-19 guidance and a vaccine campaign that also distributes masks and COVID tests in mining communities. 
  
We also recently launched a Miner Safety and Health app – available on both Android and iPhone devices – that puts safety, health, and miners’ rights information directly in the hands of miners. 
  
These efforts reflect our commitment to our mission and to doing all we can to help protect miners. On National Miners Day, join me in saying thank you to these vital workers and to their families for their commitment to taking on the difficult jobs needed to serve our nation’s needs. 
  
Chris Williamson, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. 

Click here to read the article on the Lexington Harold Leader