Training of new miners; minimum courses of instruction; hours of instruction.
(a) Each new miner shall receive no less than 40 hours of training as
prescribed in this section before such miner is assigned to work duties. Such
training shall be conducted in conditions which as closely as practicable
duplicate actual underground conditions, and approximately 8 hours of
training shall be given at the minesite.
(b) The training program for new miners shall include the following
courses:
(1)Instruction in the statutory rights of miners and
their representatives under the Act; authority and responsibility of
supervisors. The course shall include instruction in the statutory rights of
miners and their representatives under the Act, including a discussion of
section 2 of the Act; a review and description of the line of authority of
supervisors and miners' representatives and the responsibilities of such
supervisors and miners' representatives; and an introduction to the
operator's rules and the procedures for reporting hazards.
(2) Self-rescue and respiratory devices. The course shall be given
before a new miner goes underground and shall include--
(i) Instruction and demonstration in the use, care, and maintenance
of self-rescue and respiratory devices used at the mine;
(ii) Hands-on training in the complete donning of all types of
self-contained self-rescue devices used at the mine, which includes
assuming a donning position, opening the device, activating the device,
inserting the mouthpiece, and putting on the nose clip; and
(iii) Hands-on training in transferring between all applicable
self-rescue devices.
(3)Entering and leaving the mine; transportation;
communications. The course shall include instruction on the procedures in
effect for entering and leaving the mine; the check-in and checkout system in
effect at the mine; the procedures for riding on and in mine conveyances; the
controls in effect for the transportation of miners and materials; and the
use of the mine communication systems, warning signals, and directional
signs.
(4)Introduction to the work environment. The course shall
include a visit and tour of the mine, or portions of the mine which are
representative of the entire mine. A method of mining utilized at the mine
shall be observed and explained.
(5) Mine map; escapeways; emergency evacuation; barricading. The
program of instruction for mine emergency evacuation and firefighting
approved by the District Manager under 30 CFR 75.1502 or the escape and
evacuation plan under 30 CFR 57.11053, as applicable, shall be used for
this course. The course shall include--
(i) A review of the mine map; the escapeway system; the escape,
firefighting, and emergency evacuation plans in effect at the mine; and
the location of abandoned areas; and
(ii) An introduction to the methods of barricading and the
locations of the barricading materials, where applicable. (6)Roof or ground control and ventilation plans. The
course shall include an introduction to and instruction on the roof or ground
control plan in effect at the mine and procedures for roof and rib or ground
control; and an introduction to and instruction on the ventilation plan in
effect at the mine and the procedures for maintaining and controlling
ventilation.
(7)Health. The course shall include instruction on the
purpose of taking dust, noise, and other health measurements, and any health
control plan in effect at the mine shall be explained. The health provisions
of the act and warning labels shall also be explained.
(8)Cleanup; rock dusting. The course shall include
instruction on the purpose of rock dusting and the cleanup and rock dusting
program in effect at the mine, where applicable.
(9)Hazard recognition. The course shall include the
recognition and avoidance of hazards present in the mine, particularly any
hazards related to explosives where explosives are used or stored at the
mine.
(10)Electrical hazards. The course shall include
recognition and avoidance of electrical hazards.
(11)First aid. The course shall include instruction in
first aid methods acceptable to MSHA.
(12)Mine gases. The course shall include instruction in
the detection and avoidance of hazards associated with mine gases.
(13)Health and safety aspects of the tasks to which the new miner
will be assigned. The course shall include instruction in the health
and safety aspects of the tasks to be assigned, including the safe work
procedures of such tasks, the mandatory health and safety standards
pertinent to such tasks, information about the physical and health
hazards of chemicals in the miner's work area, the protective measures
a miner can take against these hazards, and the contents of the mine's
HazCom program.
(14) Such other courses as may be required by the District
Manager based on circumstances and conditions at the mine.
(c) Methods, including oral, written, or practical demonstration, to
determine successful completion of the training shall be included in the
training plan. The methods for determining such completion shall be
administered to the miner before he is assigned work duties.
(d) A newly employed miner who has less than 12 months of mining
experience and has received the courses and hours of instruction in
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, within 36 months preceding
employment at a mine, does not have to repeat this training. Before the
miner starts work, the operator must provide the miner with the
experienced miner training in § 48.6(b) of this part and, if
applicable, the new task training in § 48.7 of this
part. The operator must also provide the miner with annual refresher training
and additional new task training, as applicable.
For more information : See MSHA's Program Policy Manual
