MSHA launches silica dust enforcement initiative

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has launched a new enforcement initiative to protect miners’ health by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Specifically, the enforcement initiative will include:

• Spot inspections at coal and metal and nonmetal mines with a history of repeated silica overexposures.
• Increased oversight and enforcement of known silica hazards at mines with previous citations for exposing miners to silica dust levels over the existing permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 100 micrograms. For metal and nonmetal mines where the operator has not timely abated hazards, MSHA will issue a 104(b) withdrawal order. For coal mines, MSHA will encourage changes to dust control and ventilation plans to address known health hazards.
• Expanded silica sampling at metal and nonmetal mines to ensure inspectors’ samples represent the mines, commodities, and occupations known to have the highest risk for overexposure.
• A focus on sampling during periods of the mining process that present the highest risk of silica exposure for miners. For coal mines, those processes include shaft and slope sinking, extended cuts and developing crosscuts. Metal and nonmetal sampling will focus on miners working to remove overburden.
• Reminding miners about their rights to report hazardous health conditions, including any attempt to tamper with the sampling process.

MSHA also will provide mine operators with compliance assistance and best practices to limit miners’ exposure to silica dust.

The agency says its initiative is intended to take immediate action to reduce the risks of silica dust exposure as its development of a mining industry standard continues.