Safety and health regulations for miners and independent contractors
In 1977, a new law was enacted to improve safety in America’s mines. Under the terms of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was created at the U.S. Department of Labor to administer a broad regulatory program to reduce injuries, illness and fatalities in mining. MSHA carries out provisions of the Mine Act as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.
MSHA inspectors conduct inspections and investigations at mine sites to ensure compliance with health and safety standards required by the Mine Act. When inspectors and investigators observe violations of health or safety standards, they issue citations and orders to mine operators that require the operators to correct the problems.
The Code of Federal Regulations governing mining and mineral resources is here.
Mining companies, independent contractors, and their employees doing work on mine sites are responsible for complying with MSHA Part 46 and Part 48 training regulations and Part 50 reporting requirements. Below are resources for obtaining necessary training and assistance in complying with these regulations.
Help in determining if you are an independent contractor is here and your safety and health responsibilities are here.
A comprehensive MSHA Compliance Manual can be downloaded here.
MSHA's Small Mine Handbook was developed as a compliance assistance tool for small mine operators.
Mike Jackley with MSHA's Educational Field and Small Mine Services program can help mining companies and independent contractors as well as their employees to identify safety hazards and ensure compliance with MSHA regulations. He will visit your site to discuss effective plans to develop a safety program and ensure you understand MSHA training and reporting requirements.
Offers a common sense approach to identifying potential health, safety and paperwork violations before they are cited.
Separate entity from MSHA enforcement.
He is a former enforcement officer; his perspective could be very valuable to your company.
Jackley is willing and happy to answer your questions about MSHA compliance or to set up an appointment for him to visit your operation. Contact him by telephone at 815-780-0064 or by email.
Many more safety resources can be found in the member resources section of this website.
