30 CFR § 48.25
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