MSHA, which organizes a Preventative Roof/Rib Outreach Program (PROP) annually that includes roof fall education, said 28 miners lost their lives in roof and rib falls between 2003 and 2007.

Over the following five years, from 2008 to last year, that fell to 19 – a 32% drop.

Another notable fact, according to federal statistics: the number of fatalities resulting from retreat mining fell from seven during the first five- year period to zero for the period between 2008 and 2012.

“As a result of efforts undertaken by MSHA and the mining community, we have seen a significant reduction in coal mine roof fall accidents, which have traditionally been a leading source of debilitating injuries and death for coal miners,” assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health Joseph Main said.

“Everyone in this industry – miners and their representatives, mine operators as well as MSHA personnel – have worked together to make mines safer and more secure from roof falls.

“However, while we have made real gains in eliminating fatalities from retreat mining, we must redouble our efforts to address hazards in other areas of underground roof and rib safety.”

Looking only at injuries, the agency said that one of its challenges lay within. In fact, just last year, 377 miners were injured from roof and rib falls.

Of those incidents, 145 were roof bolter operators that were hurt in roof falls and another 20 were roof bolter operators injured from rib falls.

As a result, MSHA said its PROP effort for 2013 would focus on roof bolter operator safety.

Federal officials said MSHA would unveil a four-part series of informational posters on the topic to target roof bolter roof and rib fall injuries, accidents resulting from hands-on drilling, pinch points and accidental control activation.