MSHA Publishes The New Workplace Examination Final Rule

On January 23, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines, amending 30 C.F.R. § 56.18002 (Surface) and § 57.18002 (Underground). The final rule contains major amendments to the existing standards that will impose substantial administrative burdens on mine operators and create new risks of heightened enforcement against operators and supervisors.

The final rule includes the following key requirements:

• A competent person must complete a workplace examination, at least once each shift, for each working place where miners are scheduled to work.
• The examination must be completed before miners begin work in that place.