Training of new miners; minimum courses of instruction; hours of instruction.

(a) Each new miner shall receive no less than 24 hours of training as prescribed in this section. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, new miners shall receive this training before they are assigned to work duties. At the discretion of the District Manager, new miners may receive a portion of this training after assignment to work duties: Provided, That no less than 8 hours of training shall in all cases be given to new miners before they are assigned to work duties. The following courses shall be included in the 8 hours of training: Introduction to work environment, hazard recognition, and health and safety aspects of the tasks to which the new miners will be assigned. Following the completion of this preassignment training, new miners shall then receive the remainder of the required 24 hours of training, or up to 16 hours, within 60 days. Operators shall indicate in the training plans submitted for approval whether they want to train new miners after assignment to duties and for how many hours. In determining whether new miners may be given this training after they are assigned duties, the District Manager shall consider such factors as the mine safety record, rate of employee turnover and mine size. Miners who have not received the full 24 hours of new miner training shall be required to work under the close supervision of an experienced miner.

(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 include instruction and demonstration in the use, care, and maintenance of self-rescue and respiratory devices, where applicable.

(3) Transportation controls and communication systems. The course shall include instruction on the procedures in effect for riding on and in mine conveyances where applicable; the controls for the transportation of miners and materials; and the use of mine communication systems, warning signals, and directional signs.

(4) Introduction to 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. The method of mining or operation utilized shall be observed and explained.

(5) Escape and emergency evacuation plans; firewarning and firefighting. The course shall include a review of the mine escape system, and escape and emergency evacuation plans in effect at the mine; and instruction in the firewarning signals and firefighting procedures.

(6) Ground control; working in areas of highwalls, water hazards, pits and spoil banks; illumination and night work. The course shall include, where applicable, and introduction to and instruction on the highwall and ground control plans in effect at the mine; procedures for working safely in areas of highwalls, water hazards, pits and spoil banks; the illumination of work areas; and safe work procedures during the hours of darkness.

(7) Health. The course shall include instruction on the purpose of taking dust measurements, where applicable, and 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) Hazard recognition. The course shall include the recognition and avoidance of hazards present in the mine.

(9) Electrical hazards. The course shall include recognition and avoidance of electrical hazards.

(10) First aid. The course shall include instruction in first aid methods acceptable to MSHA.

(11) Explosives. The course shall include a review and instruction on the hazards related to explosives. The only exception to this course component is when no explosives are used or stored on mine property.

(12) Health and safety aspects of the tasks to which the new miner will be assigned. The course shall include instructions 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.

(13) 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. Upon completion of training, the methods for determining successful completion shall be administered to the miner. The method for determining successful completion of pre-assignment training under paragraph (a) of this section shall be administered to the miner before he is assigned to 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 § 48.26(b) of this part and, if applicable, the new task training in § 48.27 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