Announcements

MSHA Health Alert: Respirable Crystalline Silica

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On April 18, 2024, MSHA issued its final rule, Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection, to reduce miner exposures to respirable crystalline silica and improve respiratory protection for all airborne hazards. Some updated resources appear below.

Important Dates:

  • The final rule will take effect on June 17, 2024.
  • Coal mine operators are required to be compliant by April 14, 2025
  • MNM mine operators are required to be compliant by April 8, 2026

The Final Rule:

  • Establishes a uniform permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubicmeter of air (μg/m3) and action level of 25 μg/m3 for all mines.
  • Uniform requirements for monitoring and controlling respirable crystalline silicaRequires medical surveillance at MNM mines, modeled after existing requirements forcoal mines.
  • Updates the existing respiratory protection requirements to the ASTM F3387-19Standard.

Resources

Final Rule and Plan Templates for Surface Mobile Equipment Safety

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This Final Rule became effective in January and will be enforced starting July 17, 2024. It requires all operators and many if not most contractors to:

  • develop a written Mobile Equipment Safety Program,
  • appoint at least one responsible person to evaluate and update the program at least once a year,
  • identify current and emerging technology that would be feasible to use,
  • and more.

The Final Rule is here, and templates and other resources here.

Silica Rule Proposed Change

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The U.S. Department of Labor on June 30 announced a proposal by its Mine Safety and Health Administration to amend current federal standards to better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards related to exposure to respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust. The proposed rule change will ensure miners have at least the same level of protections as workers in other industries.

Click here for MSHA Silica Rulemaking page with links to proposed rule.

MSHA Hazardous Chemicals Health & Safety Alert

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MSHA has issued the following alert concerning Hazardous Chemicals:

“Recent train derailments and chemical spills, including several incidents on mine sites, have increased the importance of maintaining awareness about hazardous chemicals used in mining. Miners working with and around chemicals can be exposed to hazards that result in injuries or illnesses from exposure to chemicals.  Safe handling of chemicals can prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses.”

Best Practices

Operators should: 

  • Store hazardous, flammable, and combustible materials in a manner that minimizes dangers to miners.
  • Warn against potential hazards; caution against unsafe practices; and provide instructions on the proper use of personal protective equipment.
  • Provide miners personal protective equipment to use, such as gloves, safety glasses or goggles, and NIOSH-approved respirators, as applicable.
  • Train miners on the task to be performed; on working with or near chemical hazards; and performing appropriate emergency response procedures.
  • Provide miners a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they may be exposed to during each work shift.

Click here for: Hazardous Chemicals Alert in English (pdf), or in Spanish (pdf).

New Year, New MSHA Web Page

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And that means broken links on SafeMiners.com. Yes, every time MSHA makes improvements to the look and function of their web page they change some of the file structure which means when you click on links from this page to MSHA’s you won’t go where expected and often get that dreaded “404 Error – the page you have requested was not found.” If the page displayed seems correct but doesn’t have the updated design “look” you may have wound up on an outdated page. Please let me know when either of these happens by emailing me at randy@completesafetysolutions.com with an explanation or copy of the link that didn’t work.

There’s no way to go back over 14 years of postings and fix everything, but I like to have things working… especially those that people actually use.

Oh, and… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Proposed Mobile Powered Haulage Rule

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DOL – MSHA announced a proposed rule to require mine operators employing six or more miners to develop a written safety program for mobile and powered haulage equipment (excluding belt conveyors) at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. This proposed rule is one of several actions MSHA has taken to reduce fatal and nonfatal injuries involving surface mobile equipment used at mines and to improve safety and health.

[photo: MSHA Powered Haulage Initiative]

Under the proposed rule, mine operators would implement a written safety program including actions to identify hazards and risks to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities related to surface mobile equipment. Mine operators would have the flexibility to devise a safety program for their specific mining conditions and operations. In addition, MSHA would encourage its state grantees to provide training to address hazards and risks involving surface mobile equipment in small mining operations.

Comments must be submitted by Nov. 8, 2021. 

Read or Download the Proposed Rule in the Federal Register (pdf).

Penn State Mine Professional Development Free Online Webinar September 29, 2021

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Penn State Miner Training Program – On September 29, 2021 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm the Miner Training Program of the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences will hold a Professional Development Online Webinar for Mine Supervisors, Competent Persons, and Safety Professionals. The program is free and presented as part of the State Grant outreach service to the state of Delaware, but you can be from anywhere to attend and it’s free. There is no registration needed, just get details on the flier here (pdf) and join us on the 29th.

Presentations will include a full online tour of the safeminers.com site and many more resources online including some hidden gems that I created for my own clients’ use.