Mine Safety: Inspector Hiring, Penalty Assessments, and Injury Reporting

In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) mine inspections, specifically: (1) MSHA efforts to hire more inspectors; (2) penalties MSHA assessed mine operators in 1986 for not reporting injuries; (3) mining associations' and union officials' opinions on whether the MSHA penalty policy deters underreporting; and (4) a comparative statistical analysis of small and large mines that have had fatalities.