Miners' Rights & Responsibilities

Online Training Certification Course

MSHA Part 46 & Part 48

From the highest rated and most trusted online training company - since 2008.

IMPORTANT * Before making a purchase be sure and read the GOVERNING REGULATIONS SECTION.

This MSHA rights & responsibilities course outlines the best practices for understanding and adhering to miners' responsibilities. It also identifies specific miners' rights and the procedures to follow if those rights are violated.

The Mine Act gives miners rights and responsibilities to encourage active, responsible participation in mine safety and health. A good health and safety training program requires the active participation and interest of everyone at the worksite. When you know your rights and responsibilities, you are better equipped to help decrease workplace accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

This course is for:
This miners' rights and responsibilities training course is designed for operators, supervisors, safety personnel, and all other individuals who work at mines. Anyone who is regularly exposed to mine hazards is subject to certain rights and responsibilities under the Mine Act.

Case Study: On March 20, 2012, a 54-year-old mine owner with about 25 years of experience was killed at an underground gemstone mine. He was cleaning fine ore with a shovel and loading it in the bucket of a front-end loader when rock fell from the top left rib from a height of 20 feet. The victim was working alone.

Key Takeaways: You have a right to refuse to work alone in dangerous situations. Keep within earshot of your fellow miners for their safety and yours.

Available languages: 100+ languages - translation provided by Google Translate (Select Language bottom of page)

Governing Regulations

Miners' rights and responsibilities are identified under the Mine Act, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), and Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). According to CFR Part 46.2, a miner is anyone, including an operator or supervisor, who works at a mine and is engaged in mining operations.

On-site surface mine employees must receive this training. Training must also be available to contractors and visitors who want it.

TO BE MSHA COMPLIANT YOUR COMPANY MUST HAVE A MSHA APPROVED TRAINING PLAN AS OUTLINED BY 30 CFR §46.4. YOUR COMPANY CAN USE THIS OR ANY OF OUR COURSES AS PART OF THAT PLAN.

YOUR MINE SITE OPERATOR MUST PROVIDE YOU WITH A COMPLETED 5000-23 FORM UPON COMPLETION OF ALL REQUIRED ASPECTS OF TRAINING AS OUTLINED BY 30 CFR §46.8 WHICH MAY INCLUDE THIS SAFETY TRAINING AS WELL AS SITE SPECIFIC HAZARD TRAINING.

IT IS YOUR MINE SITE OPERATOR'S RESPONSIBILITY to Record and certify that each miner has received training required under this part on 5000-23 FORM, or on a form that contains the information listed in paragraph (b) of 30 CFR §46.9. The person signing the form is generally the mine operator, a person acting on behalf of the operator, or company safety official or instructor. Read more about how to complete the MSHA Form 5000-23 here.

For more information regarding what a MSHA training plan is and how our training can be implemented into your plan please reference 30 CFR §46.4.

If you are a mine owner or independent contractor and unsure how to write a training plan our “Making a Part 46 Training Plan” Instructional Course is available as a step-by-step guide. Part 46 Surface Mining Training Plan course.

What You'll Learn

Introduction to the MSHA Miners' Rights and Responsibilities Overview Training Course

Applicability
Key Terms and Definitions

Personal Rights Under the Mine Act

Right to Representation
Representative Qualification
Procedures for Nominating a Representative
Representative Responsibilities
Discrimination
Protected Activities
Reporting Misconduct
Hazard Reporting
Participating in Inspections
Participating in Enforcement Hearings
Idle Pay
Work Refusal

Health Protection Rights Under the Mine Act

Underground Coal Mining and Black Lung Disease
Exposure to Diesel Particulate Matter at Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines
Right to Health and Safety Training
Part 46 Training Rights
Part 48 Training Rights

Rights Regarding New and Revised Standards or Regulations

Petitioning for Safety Standard or Regulation Modifications
Information Rights

Rights Regarding Emergency Preparedness and Protocol

Underground Coal Mines-Plans
Underground Coal Mines-Emergency Evacuations, Drills, and Training
Underground Coal Mines-Mine Maps
Underground Coal Mines-Ventilation Plan Changes
Underground Coal Mines-Examinations and Reports Records
Underground Coal Mines-Ground Failure and Fire Suppression
Surface Coal Mine and Surface Areas of Underground Coal Mines
Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines

Responsibilities of Miners and Supervisors

Miner Responsibilities
Supervisor Responsibilities

Summary

Additional Resources

Exam

It will take a MINIMUM of 2 hours to complete this online course. The student may log on and off as needed. A bookmark will be set so when they log back in they will return to where they left off.

We have no restrictions on how long a person takes to complete a course. Likewise, if you are purchasing for others, we have no time limit on assigning courses, so you can purchase a larger quantity than you currently need and take advantage of volume discounts.

Miners must receive a minimum of 8 hours of annual refresher training. It must address health and safety subjects that are relevant to mining operations, as well as instructions on changes at the mine that could impact the miner's health or safety. Online training makes it easy to track and monitor annual refresher training, ensuring miners are following MSHA Part 46 regulations.

The refresher training must include instruction on changes at the mine that could adversely affect the miner's health or safety.

Refresher training must also address other health and safety subjects that are relevant to mining operations at the mine. Recommended subjects include, but are not limited to: applicable health and safety requirements, including mandatory health and safety standards; 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; transportation controls and communication systems; escape and emergency evacuation plans, firewarning and firefighting; ground conditions and control; traffic patterns and control; working in areas of highwalls; water hazards, pits, and spoil banks; illumination and night work; first aid; electrical hazards; prevention of accidents; health; explosives; and respiratory devices. Training is also recommended on the hazards associated with the equipment that has accounted for the most fatalities and serious injuries at the mines covered by this rule, including: mobile equipment (haulage and service trucks, front-end loaders and tractors); conveyor systems; cranes; crushers; excavators; and dredges. Other recommended subjects include: maintenance and repair (use of hand tools and welding equipment); material handling; fall prevention and protection; and working around moving objects (machine guarding).

The refresher training must include instruction on changes at the mine that could adversely affect the miner's health or safety.

Each miner shall receive a minimum of 8 hours of annual refresher training as prescribed in this section.
The annual refresher training program for all miners shall include the following courses of instruction:
1. Mandatory health and safety standards. The course shall include mandatory health and safety standard requirements which are related to the miner's tasks.
2. Transportation controls and communication systems. The course shall include instruction on 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.
3. Barricading. The course shall include a review of the methods of barricading and locations of barricading materials, where applicable.
4. Roof or ground control, ventilation, emergency evacuation and firefighting plans. The course shall include a review of roof or ground control plans in effect at the mine and the procedures for maintaining and controlling ventilation. In addition, for underground coal mines, except for miners who receive this training under 30 CFR 75.1504, the course shall include a review of the emergency evacuation and firefighting program of instruction in effect at the mine.
5. First aid. The course shall include a review of first aid methods acceptable to MSHA.
6. Electrical hazards. The course shall include recognition and avoidance of electrical hazards.
7. Prevention of accidents. The course shall include a review of accidents and causes of accidents, and instruction in accident prevention in the work environment.
8. Self-rescue and respiratory devices. The course shall include instruction and demonstration in the use, care, and maintenance of self-rescue and respiratory devices used at the mine. In addition, except for miners who receive this training under 30 CFR 75.1504, the training for self-contained self-rescue (SCSR) devices shall include:
  1. 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
  2. Hands-on training in transferring between all applicable self- rescue devices.
9. Explosives. The course shall include a review and instruction on the hazards related to explosives. The only exception to this course component is when there are no explosives used or stored on the mine property.
10. Mine gases. The course shall include instruction in the detection and avoidance of hazards associated with mine gases.
11. 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.
12. Such other courses as may be required by the District Manager based on circumstances and conditions at the mine.
Refresher training may include other health and safety subjects that are relevant to mining operations at the mine. Recommended subjects include, but are not limited to, 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.
Where annual refresher training is conducted periodically, such sessions shall not be less than 30 minutes of actual instruction time and the miners shall be notified that the session is part of annual refresher training.