§ 48.5 - Training of new miners; minimum courses of instruction; hours of instruction.

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

(a) Each new miner shall receive no less than 40 hours of training as prescribed in this section before such miner is assigned to work duties. Such training shall be conducted in conditions which as closely as practicable duplicate actual underground conditions, and approximately 8 hours of training shall be given at the minesite.

(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 be given before a new miner goes underground and shall include -

(i) Instruction and demonstration in the use, care, and maintenance of self-rescue and respiratory devices used at the mine;

(ii) 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

(iii) Hands-on training in transferring between all applicable self-rescue devices.

(3) Entering and leaving the mine; transportation; communications. The course shall include instruction on the procedures in effect for entering and leaving the mine; the check-in and checkout system in effect at the mine; 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.

(4) Introduction to the 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. A method of mining utilized at the mine shall be observed and explained.

(5) Mine map; escapeways; emergency evacuation; barricading. The program of instruction for mine emergency evacuation and firefighting approved by the District Manager under 30 CFR 75.1502 or the escape and evacuation plan under 30 CFR 57.11053, as applicable, shall be used for this course. The course shall include -

(i) A review of the mine map; the escapeway system; the escape, firefighting, and emergency evacuation plans in effect at the mine; and the location of abandoned areas; and

(ii) An introduction to the methods of barricading and the locations of the barricading materials, where applicable.

(6) Roof or ground control and ventilation plans. The course shall include an introduction to and instruction on the roof or ground control plan in effect at the mine and procedures for roof and rib or ground control; and an introduction to and instruction on the ventilation plan in effect at the mine and the procedures for maintaining and controlling ventilation.

(7) 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.

(8) Cleanup; rock dusting. The course shall include instruction on the purpose of rock dusting and the cleanup and rock dusting program in effect at the mine, where applicable.

(9) Hazard recognition. The course shall include the recognition and avoidance of hazards present in the mine, particularly any hazards related to explosives where explosives are used or stored at the mine.

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

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

(12) Mine gases. The course shall include instruction in the detection and avoidance of hazards associated with mine gases.

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

(14) 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. The methods for determining such completion shall be administered to the miner before he is assigned 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 § 48.6(b) of this part and, if applicable, the new task training in § 48.7 of this part. The operator must also provide the miner with annual refresher training and additional new task training, as applicable.

[43 FR 47459, Oct. 13, 1978, as amended at 47 FR 23640, May 28, 1982; 53 FR 10335, Mar. 30, 1988; 63 FR 53760, Oct. 6, 1998; 67 FR 42388, June 21, 2002; 71 FR 12268, Mar. 9, 2006; 71 FR 71451, Dec. 8, 2006]