Labor Department Issues Five Final Mine Safety Rules Removing Outdated and Duplicative Requirements
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) on Nov. 10 announced five final rules related to mine safety and health, saying the move furthers President Trump's executive order aimed at eliminating unnecessary, outdated and burdensome regulations. The release number is 26-1682-NAT.
MSHA said the final rules do not reduce protections for miners because they remove requirements that are no longer applicable to the underground mining industry, including outdated effective dates, requirements for outdated technology that is no longer used, and duplicative requirements.
The five rules cover: permissible lamps, removing duplicative requirements for electric cap lamps and other electric lamps in underground coal mines; diesel particulate matter, eliminating outdated requirements for personal exposure limits in underground metal and nonmetal mines; installation of foam generator systems in underground coal mines, removing requirements that are no longer applicable; electrical face equipment in coal seams above the water table, eliminating requirements because all underground coal mines are treated similarly regardless of location relative to the water table; and final mining of pillars, removing requirements because the practice of final mining of pillars with one mine opening is no longer used.
Earlier this year, MSHA published four final deregulatory rules related to flame safety lamps, diesel particulate matter in underground coal mines, conveyor belts and blacksmith shops. The five new final rules will be published in the Nov. 12 edition of the Federal Register and take effect 30 days after publication.
(Source: U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration)
Source: 美国劳工部矿山安全与健康管理局
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国劳工部总部大楼。照片：GSM 联邦固定图库（公共领域/官方图）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Labor headquarters. GSM federal asset library (public domain/official).
