The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced on November 10 that is has issued five final rules related to mine safety and health.

"Today’s final rules do not reduce protections for miners because they remove requirements that are no longer applicable to the underground mining industry. These changes include removing outdated effective dates, requirements for outdated technology that is no longer used, and duplicative requirements," the announcement said.  

MSHA issued final rules in the following areas:

Permissible lamps – Removes duplicative requirements for electric cap lamps and other electric lamps in underground coal mines.

Diesel particulate matter – Eliminates outdated requirements for diesel particulate matter personal exposure limits for underground metal and nonmetal mines.

Installation of foam generator systems in underground coal mines – Removes requirements that are no longer applicable to underground coal mines.

Electrical face equipment in coal seams above the water table – Eliminates regulatory requirements because all underground coal mines are treated similarly, regardless of location relative to the water table. 

Final mining of pillars – Removes regulatory requirements on the subject as the practice of final mining of pillars with one mine opening is no longer used.

Earlier this year, MSHA published four final deregulatory rules related to flame safety lamps, diesel particulate matter in underground coal mines, conveyor belts, and blacksmith shops.