Mining agency delays examinations on working places in mines
Posted May 24, 2017
On May 22, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced it would extend the effective date of the final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines. The rule was to take effect on May 23, 2017, but has been pushed back to October 2, 2017.
The January 23, 2017, final rule requires mine operators to:
- Conduct working place examinations to identify hazards before work beings in an area;
- Notify affected miners of hazardous conditions that are not corrected immediately; and
- Record the locations examined, the adverse conditions found, and the date of the corrective action.
MSHA says the delay will allow additional time for the Agency to provide training and compliance assistance to stakeholders and develop new training materials.
The Agency plans to hold informational meetings and focus on compliance assistance visits at various mines across the country.
Finally, the additional time will allow MSHA to train its own inspectors to assure consistent enforcement.
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