Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Msha S Mine Safety And Health Programs

Evaluating the effectiveness of MSHA's mine safety and health programs: hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, hearing held in Washington, DC, May 16, 2007.

This book focuses on instilling a safety culture and fostering the ability to recognize and manage health and safety responsibilities and requirements. It details effective and safety management systems and concentrates on safety and health hazard anticipation, identification, evaluation, and control.

The U.S. mining sector has the highest fatality rate of any industry in the country. Fortunately, advances made over the past three decades in mining technology, equipment, processes, procedures, and workforce education and training have significantly improved safety and health. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Safety and Health Research Program (Mining Program) has played a large role in these improvements. An assessment of the relevance and impact of NIOSH Mining Program research by a National Research Council committee reveals that the program makes essential contributions to the enhancement of health and safety in the mining industry. To further increase its effectiveness, the Mining Program should proactively identify workplace hazards and establish more challenging and innovative goals toward hazard reduction. The ability of the program to successfully expand its activities, however, depends on available funding.

In 2006, several mining tragedies led Congress to pass the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act). It requires underground coal mine operators to develop emergency response plans that contain several components designed to improve accident preparedness and response, including providing a refuge of air to miners trapped underground after an accident and wireless commun. systems. The Mine Safety and Health Admin. (MSHA) is responsible for approving the plans and ensuring their implementation. This report examines: (1) the effectiveness of the approval process; (2) the status of implementation of the plans; and (3) MSHA¿s efforts to enforce and oversee implementations. Illustrations.