§825 Mandatory Health and Safety Training

Summary

Requires every mine operator to have a health and safety training program that the Secretary approves. New miners with no underground experience must get at least 40 hours of training before working underground. New miners with no surface experience must get at least 24 hours before working on the surface. All miners must get at least 8 hours of refresher training at least once every 12 months. Miners already working when the 1977 Amendments took effect must get that refresher within 90 days after the operator’s training plan is approved. If a miner is moved to a new task they have never done, they must be trained on the safety and health aspects of that task before starting. Training must include a work-related practice period when possible. Training must happen during normal work hours and miners must be paid their regular rate while training; new miners are paid their starting wage. If training is away from the normal workplace, operators must cover extra costs. After training, the operator must certify on an approved form that the miner completed each training subject, keep the certificate at the mine, give a copy to the miner, and provide a copy when the miner leaves. False certification is punishable under section 820(a) and (f). The Secretary must create training regulations within 180 days after the effective date of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act of 1977 and set standards for construction workers’ training. The Secretary must publish proposed mine rescue rules within 180 days after that 1977 effective date, and operators pay the costs to arrange teams. Final rescue rules had to be in effect no later than 18 months after June 15, 2006. The Mine Safety and Health Administration must set criteria to certify mine rescue teams and update those criteria every 5 years. For each underground coal mine with more than 36 employees, the operator must have an employee on each shift who knows mine emergency response and must make available two certified mine rescue teams that are familiar with the mine, take part in two local rescue contests each year, train at the mine at least annually, and be reachable within one hour ground travel time. Operators may meet the rule with an on-site team, a multi-employer composite team (with at least two active employees from each covered mine and semi-annual training at the covered mine), a commercial contractor team that trains quarterly at covered mines and whose members have at least 3 years of underground coal experience within the prior 10 years, or a State-sponsored team. For mines with 36 or fewer employees, the operator must have a knowledgeable employee on each shift and make available two certified teams that are familiar with the mine, enter two local contests yearly, train at the mine at least semi-annually, be available within one hour, know the mine operations and ventilation, and have members with at least 3 years of underground coal experience within the prior 10 years.