Mine Safety and Health Administration Announces $10.5M in State Grants
The grants will go to training and retraining mines and miners.
- By Alex Saurman
- May 27, 2022
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has announced a new state grant for miner training.
According to a press release, under the U.S. Department of Labor, MSHA will grant $10.5 million for federally mandated miner training and retraining.
Up to 80 percent of costs may be covered by the grant, and at least 20 percent must be covered by the state. According to the application, eligible applicants include county governments, some nonprofits, city or township governments and Native American tribal governments or organizations.
In 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10,200 injuries occurred in mining industry. That same year, 17 workers died from fatal work injuries in coal mining.
“MSHA recognizes that state training programs are a key source of mine safety and health training and education for individuals who work or will work at mines,” the press release says. “MSHA encourages state training programs to prioritize training for small mining operations and underserved mines and miners within the mining industry.”
MSHA’s training requirements can be found in 30 CFR Part 46 or Part 48. Part 46 applies to the aggregate industry and Part 48 applies to “all underground mining and surface mining of coal and some metals,” according to its website.
Applications for the grant close July 25, 2022.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.