Mining

MSHA training covers health and safety regulations enforced by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. This training ensures workers are properly instructed on site-specific hazards, emergency procedures, safe work practices, and federal requirements, such as those defined in MSHA Part 46 training for surface operations.

MSHA categories include three types of mines: facility, surface, and underground. ClickSafety’ MSHA 4-Hour New Miner Site Entry Training, MSHA 4-Hour New Miner General Training, and MSHA Part 46 Annual Refresher (8-Hour) courses are focused only on surface mining (above-ground mining applications). 

Surface mining under MSHA Part 46 refers to specific types of non-metal, non-coal surface mining operations that are subject to the safety and health training requirements mandated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration for their workers.

MSHA has broader oversight and stronger enforcement capability than OSHA. Under the Mine Act, surface mines must be inspected no less than twice per year. MSHA inspectors can close a mine without a court order and can institute civil penalties against management that must be paid with their own money. MSHA can also institute criminal penalties for accidents even when an incident doesn’t involve fatality.

MSHA Part 46. Part 46 requires that “shell dredging, sand, gravel, surface stone, surface clay, colloidal phosphate, and surface limestone mines to have a training plan approved by MSHA.” (MSHA, 2001) 

No. You must take MSHA 4-Hour New Miner Site Entry Training to be able to work on surface mining projects. To begin work, a new miner must receive a minimum of four hours of training. This MSHA training is valuable for any employee required to get on the job including a contractor or consultant who might not necessarily be performing the tasks of a miner but still needs to be on-site.

This MSHA training online course is designed for those who work, or intend to work at a surface mine site including: 

• Mine operator employees who have never worked in a mine 
• Contractors’ employees who have never worked in a mine 
• Experienced miners who have started work for a new employer or contractor and need to supplement their training 

A new miner is defined by MSHA as someone who is working at a mine for the first time, or as someone who is an experienced miner, but is new to the type of mine, such as someone who has experience in an underground mine but has been assigned to work at a surface mine for the first time.

This course is designed for: 

• Miners who have completed Newly Employed Experienced Miner Training in the past 12 months and require annual refresher training 
• Newly hired, experienced miners who have completed the New Miner Training in the past 12 months and require annual refresher training 
• Newly –hired, experienced miners who have completed Newly Employed Experienced Miner Training in the past 12 months and require annual refresher training 
• New miners assigned to a new task who have completed the New Miner Training in the past 12 months and require annual refresher training 
• New miners assigned to a new task who have completed Newly Employed Experienced Miner Training in the past 12 months and require annual refresher training 
• Independent contractors with potential to work at a mine site covered under MSHA regulation and have completed new miner training in the past 12 months 

This MSHA Part 46 training course is intended for those who work, or intend to work at a surface mine site, such as a mine for sand, gravel, or crushed stone, including: 

• Mine operator employees who have never worked in a mine 
• Contractors who have never worked in a mine 
• Experienced miners who started work for a new employer or contractor who need to supplement their training 

According to Part 46 of MSHA regulations, after a miner has begun work on a mine site, but before 60 calendar days have elapsed, the miner must receive mining safety training on two subjects: 

• The use, care, and maintenance of self-rescue and respiratory devices 
• A review of first aid methods 

Before 90 calendar days, a miner must have received a total of 24 hours of training on subjects that promote safety and health. Until then, the new miner must be assigned tasks where an experienced miner can observe that you are working in a safe and healthful manner.

When combined, ClickSafety’s 4-Hour New Miner Part 1 (Site Entry) course and ClickSafety’s 4-Hour New Miner Part 2 (General) course help deliver a total of 8-hours of training that can be used towards the 24-hour new miner or first-time miner requirement.