ENVIRONMENT

MSHA changing up workplace exam rules

MSHA has announced two proposed rules that would change its January final rule on metal-nonmetal ...

Staff reporter
MSHA changing up workplace exam rules

The agency said in the Federal Register filing that the first of the two would make “limited changes”, outlining a required examination before work begins, and that the resulting examination record include descriptions of any adverse conditions not promptly corrected and a date for fixes once they are made.

Additionally, operators would have more flexibility for in-house management of safety and health programmes, which MSHA noted will reduce regulatory burdens without giving up miner protections.

Under the rule, mines will continue to be able to conduct an exam on the previous shift for those operators with consecutive shifts or those that operate on a 24-hour, 365-day basis.

MSHA will be holding four public hearings to collect input from the industry on the proposal; the first will be held at its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on October 24.

On October 26, a hearing will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, followed by Birmingham, Alabama on October 31. Finally, on November 2, the agency will hold a hearing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

All meetings will begin at 9am local time. There will still be time post-hearings to provide comment, as the deadline for receipt of input is midnight Eastern Standard Time on November 13.

MSHA has provided a midnight EST September 26 deadline for its second portion of the proposal, which will further delay the effective date of the final rule. The agency said the extension would permit more time for it to hold stakeholder training and compliance assistance.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production