MSHA Announces Silica Initiative

MSHA announced today they’re starting a silica enforcement initiative that will increase silica sampling at mines. This initiative aligns with the agency’s key focus on silica as we wait for the proposed rule to be released this summer. Please find below highlights from the news release and news announcement included below. We will pass along any additional information as we learn more. Please let us or NSSGA know what you see in the field as this enforcement initiative rolls out. 

Specifically, the silica enforcement initiative will include: 

• Spot inspections at mines with a history of repeated silica overexposures. 
• Increased oversight and enforcement at mines with previous citations for overexposures  
• For metal and nonmetal mines where the operator has not timely abated hazards, MSHA will issue a 104(b)-withdrawal order until the silica overexposure hazard has been abated. 
• Expanded silica sampling at metal and nonmetal mines to ensure inspectors’ samples represent the mines, commodities, and occupations known to have the highest risk for overexposure. 
• A focus on sampling during periods of the mining process that present the highest risk of silica exposure for miners. Metal and nonmetal sampling will focus on miners working to remove overburden. 
• Reminding miners about their rights to report hazardous health conditions, including any attempt to tamper with the sampling process. 

For more information contact Libby Pritchard at NSSGA or Rob Lanham at VTCA.