Two New MSHA Tools Added to Track Violations
Online improvements will help increase compliance with critical health and safety standards
According to a news release, the U.S. Mine and Safety Health Administration (MSHA) has launched two new tools to assist operators, miners, MSHA and others in tracking violations of standards commonly associated with mining deaths and frequently found by federal mine inspectors in examinations of underground coal mines. These include tools to monitor a mine’s compliance history, such as determining its eligibility for a pattern of violations or the number of significant and substantial violations issued in a given time period after a corrective action plan is put into place.
One of the enhancements is a tool that identifies the health and safety standards spotlighted in MSHA’s “Rules to Live By” outreach and enforcement program which began in 2010 to prevent some common causes of mining fatalities.
The second tool tracks compliance of nine standards associated with hazardous conditions that pose the greatest risk to underground coal miners. These nine standards cover ventilation, methane, roof control, combustible materials, rock dust, equipment guarding and other safeguards.
"These new web tools will enable mine operators to monitor their own compliance with specific safety and health standards that are commonly linked to mining deaths and frequently cited by MSHA," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "Operators will be able to track their mine's performance and take any corrective action that may be needed to improve compliance."