A petition for modification is a request to modify the requirements of an existing MSHA safety standard to achieve the purpose of the standard by means different than those required by the standard.
Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations under Part 44 sets forth MSHA's conditions for requesting a petition for modification. MSHA will grant a petition for modification if the agency determines that the requested alternative provides miners at least the same level of protection as the existing standard.
Petitions are filed with the Director of the Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances (OSRV) at petitionsformodification@dol.gov. Alternatively, they may be mailed to Director, OSRV, Mine Safety and Health Administration, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, Virginia 22202-5452.