MSHA's winter alert is out, and freeze-thaw is already moving ground
The agency's cold-weather notice targets slips and falls, haul-road ice, weakened highwalls and roof, and cold stress, all of it preventable with examinations and training.
MSHA published its Winter Safety in Mining alert on Oct. 30, warning of a seasonal rise in slips, trips, falls, vehicle accidents and cold-stress injuries at surface and underground mines. Snow, ice and freeze-thaw cycles weaken roads, highwalls, benches and walkways, the alert notes, and dry winter air can weaken underground roof strata.
The equipment list is specific: winterize before the cold arrives by checking batteries, fuel lines, brakes, cab heaters and defrosters, and by examining equipment for exhaust leaks. Keep roads, walkways, ramps and work areas clear and treated with salt or sand, and keep windshields, mirrors and lights free of snow and ice. Reduce speeds, hold following distances and wear seat belts, watching for black ice on haul roads.
In whiteout conditions the guidance is blunt. Heavy snow can hide berms, drop-offs, damaged road surfaces and other vehicles, so reduce speed, run headlights and beacons, stay on the radio and stop if you cannot see the road ahead. Ground examinations are the other half of the program: check highwalls, benches and roadways after each rain, freeze or thaw, and underground, watch for changing roof conditions and ventilation as the surface dries and contracts.
On the human side the alert asks for insulated, layered, waterproof clothing, warm shelters and hot liquids, cold jobs scheduled for the warmest part of the day, and training so miners recognize hypothermia and frostbite in themselves and in their partner. The whole document is two pages and it is free, which makes it a poor excuse not to have it in this week's pre-shift.
Primary source
MSHA safety alert, Winter Safety in MiningFiled October 30, 2026 from WASHINGTON. Stories run on the front page for two weeks, then move to the archive, where they stay available.