Mine Safety

Source: MSHA

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration has released new training tools to help miners better understand their rights and responsibilities under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Section 105(c) of the act prohibits discrimination against miners, applicants for employment and representatives of miners for exercising statutory rights, especially those rights that concern safety or health activities such as identifying hazards, requesting MSHA inspections or refusal to engage in unsafe work.

On July 12th in Hazard, KY, MSHA will hold two hearings on their proposed rules for Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines (Examinations of Work Areas) and for Pattern of Violations (POV).

The public hearings will be held at The Forum at the Hal Rogers Center, 101 Bulldog Lane, Hazard, Kentucky.

Post hearing comments are due to MSHA no later than August 1st.

Attached below is an advance copy of MSHA’s Federal Register notice announcing the hearings.

MSHA-Hearings-Ky

From: MSHA 

US Labor Department’s MSHA to co-host 4th annual Southeast Region/ Central Kentucky Mine Rescue Contest June 15 and 16 in Maysville, Ky.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, along with Carmeuse Lime and Stone and the Central Kentucky Mine Rescue Association, will sponsor the 4th annual Southeast Region/Central Kentucky Mine Rescue Contest on June 15 and 16 in Maysville, Ky. Participating teams are from Kentucky, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and Kansas.

MSHA has published a “Questions and Answers” document clarifying issues regarding their Program Policy Letter (P11-V-13) on MINER Act-required Post-Accident Two-Way Communications and Electronic Tracking Requirements.

Among other issues addressed, MSHA makes clear that the agency will not issue citations for noncompliance with the Program Policy Letter P11-V-13.  Instead, all “post-accident communication or tracking citations will cite MSHA standards, the MINER Act, and/or provisions of an approved [Emergency Response Plan] ERP.” 

The document also makes plain that communication and tracking systems should be provided in both escapeways.

The complete Q&A document is attached below.

CommoandTracking