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Summary style Mine Safety Article Requested by Project mining resource library

Project mining requested articles


The hope of finding mineral treasure was one of the incentives that led early colonists to America. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

(Did Columbus use gold as a reason for his expedition?)


Early legislation

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In 1891, Congress passed the General Mining Act of 1872. This was the first federal statute governing mine safety. The 1891 law was relatively modest legislation that applied only to mines in U.S. territories, and, among other things, established minimum ventilation requirements at underground coal mines and prohibited operators from employing children under 12 years of age.[1]

In 1910, Congress established the Bureau of Mines as a new agency in the Department of the Interior.[2] The Bureau was charged with the responsibility to conduct research and to reduce accidents in the coal mining industry, but was given no inspection authority until 1941, when Congress empowered federal inspectors to enter mines.[3] In 1947, Congress authorized the formulation of the first code of federal regulations for mine safety.[4]

The Federal Coal Mine Safety Act of 1952 provided for annual inspections in certain underground coal mines, and gave the Bureau limited enforcement authority, including power to issue violation notices and imminent danger withdrawal orders.[5] The 1952 Act also authorized the assessment of civil penalties against mine operators for noncompliance with withdrawal orders or for refusing to give inspectors access to mine property, although no provision was made for monetary penalties for noncompliance with the safety provisions. In 1966, Congress extended coverage of the 1952 Coal Act to all underground coal mines.[6]

The first federal statute directly regulating non-coal mines did not appear until the passage of the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act of 1966.[7] The 1966 Act provided for the promulgation of standards, many of which were advisory, and for inspections and investigations; however, its enforcement authority was minimal.

Coal Act

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The Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, generally referred to as the Coal Act, was more comprehensive and more stringent than any previous federal legislation governing the mining industry.[8] The Coal Act included surface as well as underground coal mines within its scope, required two annual inspections of every surface coal mine and four at every underground coal mine, and dramatically increased federal enforcement powers in coal mines. The Coal Act also required monetary penalties for all violations, and established criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations. The safety standards for all coal mines were strengthened, and health standards were adopted. The Coal Act included specific procedures for the development of improved mandatory health and safety standards, and provided compensation for miners who were totally and permanently disabled by the progressive respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of fine coal dust pneumoconiosis or "black lung."

In 1973, the Secretary of the Interior, through administrative action, created the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) as a new departmental agency separate from the Bureau of Mines. MESA assumed the safety and health enforcement functions formerly carried out by the Bureau to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest between the enforcement of mine safety and health standards and the Bureau's responsibilities for mineral resource development. (MESA was the predecessor organization to MSHA, prior to March 9, 1978.)

Mine Act of 1977 and creation of MSHA

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More recently, Congress passed the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, the legislation which created the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and currently governs MSHA's Part 48 activities.[9] The Mine Act amended the 1969 Coal Act in a number of significant ways. The Mine Act strengthened and expanded the rights of miners, and enhanced the protection of miners from retaliation for exercising such rights. The Mine Act consolidated all federal health and safety regulations of the mining industry under a single statutory scheme- 30 CFR Part 48. MSHA could now regulate all surface coal, precious metal, and mineral mining in addition to all underground mines.

Though The Mine Act was a significant step forward, it still left large sectors of the mine industry unregulated. This included surface shell dredging, sand, gravel, surface stone, surface clay, colloidal phosphate, surface limestone, marble, granite, sandstone, slate, shale, traprock, kaolin, cement, feldspar, and lime mines.

Mining fatalities dropped sharply under the Mine Act from 272 in 1977 to 45 in 2014.[10] The Mine Act also transferred responsibility for carrying out its mandates from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Labor. Additionally, the Mine Act established the independent Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission to provide for independent review of the majority of MSHA's enforcement actions.

Reinterpretation and Expansion of the Mine Act

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In 1996 MSHA's Program Policy Manual Volume III[11] established a major expansion of the Mine Act under 30 CFR Part 46.

Going into effect in 2000,[12] the Part 46 reinterpretation expanded MSHA's enforcement and training jurisdiction to all mines in the US. This jurisdiction includes all non-metal, sand and gravel pits, and rock quarries that were previously exempt from the Mine Act.

Part 46 training plans are considered "approved" if they contain, at a minimum, the information listed in § 46.3(b). [13]


Hearing conservation program

MINER Act of 2006

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Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (MINER Act) in 2006.[14] The MINER Act amended the Mine Act to require mine-specific emergency response plans in underground coal mines; added new regulations regarding mine rescue teams and sealing of abandoned areas; required prompt notification of mine accidents; and enhanced civil penalties.[15][16]

Early Years

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• Safety stats including – o M/NM Fatalities (and number of miners) 1900-2014 o Coal Fatalities (and number of miners) 1900-2014

Part 46 Safety Training

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There are 5 types of Part 46 MSHA Safety Training.[1] They are:

  1. New Miner Training
  2. Newly Hired Experienced Miner Training
  3. Annual Refresher Training
  4. Site-Specific Hazard Awareness Training
  5. Task Specific Training

New Miner Training

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Newly Hired Experienced Miner Training

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Annual Refresher Training

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Site-Specific Hazard Awareness Training

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Task Specific Training

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Unionizing

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Strikes

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Harlan County War

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  • Production statistics
  • Major companies in each sector of the American mining industry


  1. ^ Mine Safety and Health Administration. "History of Mine Safety and Health Legislation". Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  2. ^ Page, Arthur W. (March 1912). "Safety First Underground: The New Bureau Of Mines And Its Life Saving Campaign In The Coal Fields". The World's Work: A History of Our Time. XXIII: 549–563. Retrieved 2009-07-10. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ P.L. 77-49, 55 Stat. 177.
  4. ^ P.L. 80-328, 61 Stat. 725.
  5. ^ P.L. 82-552, 66 Stat. 692, July 16, 1952.
  6. ^ P.L. 89-376, Mar. 26, 1966.
  7. ^ P.L. 89-577, Sept. 16, 1966.
  8. ^ P.L. 91-173, Dec. 30, 1969.
  9. ^ P.L. 95-164, Nov. 9, 1977.
  10. ^ "Mine Fatalities – 100 Years of Progress (1915-2015)". Mine Safety Center Blog. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Program Policy Manual VOLUME III INTERPRETATION AND GUIDELINES ON ENFORCEMENT OF THE 1977 ACT". msha.gov. MSHA. May 16, 1996. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  12. ^ "30 CFR Part 46 Starter Kit" (PDF). msha.gov. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  13. ^ "30 CFR Part 46 Starter Kit" (PDF). msha.gov. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  14. ^ P.L. 109-236, 120 Stat. 493, June 15, 2006.
  15. ^ "History of Mine Safety and Health Legislation". Msha.gov. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  16. ^ "The MINER Act: Single Source Page". Msha.gov. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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