Christopher Williamson, assistant secretary of the Mine Safety and Health Administration speaks at a coal symposium in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä in this April file photo. Williamson’s agency has announced a final rule aimed at protecting miners from mobile surface equipment accidents.
Federal regulators have issued a rule aimed at protecting mine workers from hazards stemming from a wide range of powered equipment amid a rise in mining fatalities.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration published the rule Wednesday requiring mine operators to develop and implement a written safety program for surface mobile equipment. This equipment includes any powered equipment that transports people, equipment or materials, excluding belt conveyors but including wheeled, skid-mounted, track- mounted or rail-mounted equipment that can be moved.
MSHA expanded the rule’s reach to include mines with five or fewer miners from the measure as initially proposed in 2021. The new rule covers mobile equipment used at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines.
The agency will delay the compliance date six months from the effective date to provide mine operators, especially small mine operators, enough time to gather any resources needed for compliance.
Christopher Williamson, assistant secretary of the Mine Safety and Health Administration speaks at a coal symposium in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä in this April file photo. Williamson’s agency has announced a final rule aimed at protecting miners from mobile surface equipment accidents.
New safety rule
KENNY KEMP | Gazette-Mail file photo
“As MSHA works with the entire mining community to implement the new rule, we strongly encourage everyone to prioritize training and to identify and eliminate machinery and powered haulage hazards that can put miners’ lives and livelihoods at risk,†MSHA Assistant Secretary Christopher Williamson said in a statement.
There have been 40 mining industry workers who suffered fatal injuries in 2023, as of Tuesday, according to MSHA, including 16 classified as machinery and 10 classified as powered haulage deaths.
Mine fatalities are up 33% over last year, according to MSHA data.
Since the start of 2013, there have been 19 fatal mine accidents in West Virginia. Six of those occurred since the beginning of 2021, underscoring the growing deadliness of such accidents in the Mountain State.
The United Mine Workers union was generally supportive of the proposed rule but lobbied for belt conveyors to be included. UMW spokeswoman Erin Bates said the union welcomes the inclusion in the final rule of a requirement that the written safety program must be developed and updated with input from miners and their representatives.
West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton did not respond to a request for comment.
