MSHA's Enhanced Enforcement Program On Driver Safety Raises Questions For Mine Operators

On the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) website, there is a notice about an enhanced enforcement program focused on mine operators' responsibilities that aims to reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities for contract and customer truck drivers, as well as managers and supervisors performing mining work.

MSHA posted the notice with little fanfare—such little fanfare, in fact, that most operators, and even a few safety attorneys, were not aware of the program until MSHA inspectors began showing up at operations at the end of May this year with copies in their hands dated February 28, 2022.

MSHA says this enhanced enforcement program is needed because MSHA's analysis of accident data indicates that these types of personnel make up "a significant number of recent fatalities." The bulk of the written program is focused on drivers, with just a brief reminder that managers and supervisors who perform mining work must be task-trained like any other miner.