The comment period on proposed changes to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) respirable crystalline silica standard was extended.
MSHA will extend the comment period from Aug. 28, 2023 to Sept. 11, 2023, providing stakeholders with 15 more days to comment on the proposed rule changes.
This is in response to “requests from the mining community and other interested parties for additional time to develop and submit comments on the proposal,” according to MSHA.
Changes would give miners same protections as other workers
MSHA published the notice of proposed rulemaking in July 2023 to amend current standards to ensure miners have the same levels of protection against silica dust as workers in other industries.
Respirable crystalline silica is a carcinogen and exposures over time cause severe illnesses such as silicosis, progressive massive fibrosis, kidney disease and lung cancer. Exposure can also lead to coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, as well as multi-dust pneumoconiosis.
The proposed changes would require mine operators to maintain miners’ permissible exposure limits (PELs) to respirable crystalline silica at or below 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full shift exposure. That would be calculated as an eight-hour time weighted average. If the PEL is exceeded, operators would be required to take immediate corrective actions to come into compliance.
Other proposed changes include exposure sampling and no-cost medical surveillance for metal and non-metal miners. Outdated requirements for respiratory protection would also be changed to reflect “the latest advances in respiratory protection technologies and practices.”
