9
study by Huang et al., (2007) focused on large manufactur-
ing, healthcare, and finance/insurance industries, which are
markedly different than mining the mining industry tends
to have fewer available skilled workers and employ fewer
workers per location, with many mines employing five or
fewer miners. Therefore, the indirect cost ratio of 2.12 may
underestimate indirect costs in the mining industry.
Additionally, direct costs are not paid by all mine com-
panies experiencing an injury. Direct costs are paid by those
companies who self-insure (i.e. do not purchase WC insur-
ance) which are usually very large companies. Companies
who purchase WC insurance would have these direct costs
paid by the insurance company. However, the cost impact
for mines with WC insurance would largely be through
increased premiums and even eligibility to participate in
group policies (Ruser, 1985).
Finally, it should not be assumed that all injuries result
in WC claims. Many injuries are unreported. These injuries
can result in costs for employers as well, although there is
some evidence that the unreported injuries tend to be less
severe. Unreported injuries can still result in reduced pro-
ductivity, absenteeism, sick days, and group medical costs
(Almberg et al., 2018 Boden &Ozonoff, 2008 Leigh,
Marcin, &Miller, 2004 Ruser, 2008).
CONCLUSION
The Safety Pays in Mining v2.0 web application can be used
by mine companies to estimate the costs associated with
common mining injuries. This web app can raise awareness
of the distribution and wide range of occupational injury
costs for various types of medical-only and nonfatal-days-
lost injuries. For specific injuries, mine management will
find it useful to see the distribution of medical-only and
days-lost injury costs as well as the associated indirect costs,
which are often overlooked. The web app demonstrates that
even a common injury has the potential to be extremely
expensive. Safety Pays in Mining v2.0 can be used to help
mines prioritize health and safety interventions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work would not have been possible without the
cooperation of Tim Tucker and the National Council
on Compensation Insurance, and the guidance, input,
and analysis from Tim Bushnell, Stephen Bertke, Steven
Wurzelbacher, and the NIOSH Center for Workers’
Compensation Studies.
DISCLAIMER
The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the official position
of the National Council on Compensation Insurance,
Inc. or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
REFERENCES
Almberg, K. S., Friedman, L. S., Swedler, D., &Cohen,
R. A. (2018). Mine Safety and Health Administration’s
Part 50 program does not fully capture chronic disease
and injury in the Illinois mining industry. American
Journal of Industrial Medicine, 61(5), 436–443. doi.org
/doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22826
Boden, L. I., &Ozonoff, A. (2008). Capture-recapture
estimates of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses.
Ann Epidemiol, 18(6), 500–506. doi.org/10.1016
/j.annepidem.2007.11.003
Chen, J., Vullikanti, A., Santos, J., Venkatramanan, S.,
Hoops, S., Mortveit, H., Lewis, B., You, W., Eubank,
S., Marathe, M., Barrett, C., &Marathe, A. (2021).
Epidemiological and economic impact of COVID-
19 in the US. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 20451. doi
.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99712-z
Cutler, T., &James, P. (1996). Does Safety Pay? A Critical
Account of the Health and Safety Executive Document:
`The Costs of Accidents’. Work, Employment and Society,
10(4),755–765.doi.org/10.1177/0950017096104008
Heberger, J. R. (2018). Demonstrating the financial impact
of mining injuries with the “Safety Pays in Mining”
web application. Min Eng, 70(12), 37–43. doi
.org/10.19150/me.8643
Heberger, J. R., &Wurzelbacher, S. J. (2024). Mining
Injuries 2012–2019: Using Workers’ Compensation
Claims Data from 35 States to Identify Rates and Costs
associated by Nature of Injury, Event/Exposure, and
Body Part Affected. In review at J Occup Environ Med.
Huang, Y.-H., Leamon, T. B., Courtney, T. K., Chen, P.
Y., &DeArmond, S. (2007). Corporate financial deci-
sion-makers’ perceptions of workplace safety. Accident
Analysis &Prevention, 39(4), 767–775. doi.org/doi
.org/10.1016/j.aap.2006.11.007
Jallon, R., Imbeau, D., &de Marcellis-Warin, N. (2011).
Development of an indirect-cost calculation model suit-
able for workplace use. Journal of Safety Research, 42(3),
149–164. doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2011.05.006
Leigh, J. P., Marcin, J. P., &Miller, T. R. (2004). An Estimate
of the U.S. Government’s Undercount of Nonfatal
Occupational Injuries. Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine, 46(1), 10–18. www.jstor.org
/stable/44982760
study by Huang et al., (2007) focused on large manufactur-
ing, healthcare, and finance/insurance industries, which are
markedly different than mining the mining industry tends
to have fewer available skilled workers and employ fewer
workers per location, with many mines employing five or
fewer miners. Therefore, the indirect cost ratio of 2.12 may
underestimate indirect costs in the mining industry.
Additionally, direct costs are not paid by all mine com-
panies experiencing an injury. Direct costs are paid by those
companies who self-insure (i.e. do not purchase WC insur-
ance) which are usually very large companies. Companies
who purchase WC insurance would have these direct costs
paid by the insurance company. However, the cost impact
for mines with WC insurance would largely be through
increased premiums and even eligibility to participate in
group policies (Ruser, 1985).
Finally, it should not be assumed that all injuries result
in WC claims. Many injuries are unreported. These injuries
can result in costs for employers as well, although there is
some evidence that the unreported injuries tend to be less
severe. Unreported injuries can still result in reduced pro-
ductivity, absenteeism, sick days, and group medical costs
(Almberg et al., 2018 Boden &Ozonoff, 2008 Leigh,
Marcin, &Miller, 2004 Ruser, 2008).
CONCLUSION
The Safety Pays in Mining v2.0 web application can be used
by mine companies to estimate the costs associated with
common mining injuries. This web app can raise awareness
of the distribution and wide range of occupational injury
costs for various types of medical-only and nonfatal-days-
lost injuries. For specific injuries, mine management will
find it useful to see the distribution of medical-only and
days-lost injury costs as well as the associated indirect costs,
which are often overlooked. The web app demonstrates that
even a common injury has the potential to be extremely
expensive. Safety Pays in Mining v2.0 can be used to help
mines prioritize health and safety interventions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work would not have been possible without the
cooperation of Tim Tucker and the National Council
on Compensation Insurance, and the guidance, input,
and analysis from Tim Bushnell, Stephen Bertke, Steven
Wurzelbacher, and the NIOSH Center for Workers’
Compensation Studies.
DISCLAIMER
The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the official position
of the National Council on Compensation Insurance,
Inc. or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
REFERENCES
Almberg, K. S., Friedman, L. S., Swedler, D., &Cohen,
R. A. (2018). Mine Safety and Health Administration’s
Part 50 program does not fully capture chronic disease
and injury in the Illinois mining industry. American
Journal of Industrial Medicine, 61(5), 436–443. doi.org
/doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22826
Boden, L. I., &Ozonoff, A. (2008). Capture-recapture
estimates of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses.
Ann Epidemiol, 18(6), 500–506. doi.org/10.1016
/j.annepidem.2007.11.003
Chen, J., Vullikanti, A., Santos, J., Venkatramanan, S.,
Hoops, S., Mortveit, H., Lewis, B., You, W., Eubank,
S., Marathe, M., Barrett, C., &Marathe, A. (2021).
Epidemiological and economic impact of COVID-
19 in the US. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 20451. doi
.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99712-z
Cutler, T., &James, P. (1996). Does Safety Pay? A Critical
Account of the Health and Safety Executive Document:
`The Costs of Accidents’. Work, Employment and Society,
10(4),755–765.doi.org/10.1177/0950017096104008
Heberger, J. R. (2018). Demonstrating the financial impact
of mining injuries with the “Safety Pays in Mining”
web application. Min Eng, 70(12), 37–43. doi
.org/10.19150/me.8643
Heberger, J. R., &Wurzelbacher, S. J. (2024). Mining
Injuries 2012–2019: Using Workers’ Compensation
Claims Data from 35 States to Identify Rates and Costs
associated by Nature of Injury, Event/Exposure, and
Body Part Affected. In review at J Occup Environ Med.
Huang, Y.-H., Leamon, T. B., Courtney, T. K., Chen, P.
Y., &DeArmond, S. (2007). Corporate financial deci-
sion-makers’ perceptions of workplace safety. Accident
Analysis &Prevention, 39(4), 767–775. doi.org/doi
.org/10.1016/j.aap.2006.11.007
Jallon, R., Imbeau, D., &de Marcellis-Warin, N. (2011).
Development of an indirect-cost calculation model suit-
able for workplace use. Journal of Safety Research, 42(3),
149–164. doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2011.05.006
Leigh, J. P., Marcin, J. P., &Miller, T. R. (2004). An Estimate
of the U.S. Government’s Undercount of Nonfatal
Occupational Injuries. Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine, 46(1), 10–18. www.jstor.org
/stable/44982760