THE STATE TRAINING GRANTS PROGRAM
NSSGA POSITION:
NSSGA believes that safety and health training is an important tool in the arsenal of resources available to safeguard the well being of the miner. As such, NSSGA fully, completely and unconditionally supports such training throughout the workforce. A fully funded state grants program offers a cost-effective means for delivering safety and health training resources to the mining community.
BACKGROUND:
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act (Mine Act) requires extensive training of miners before they begin work and periodically thereafter and dictates severe penalties for operators and contractors who do not provide such training. The Mine Act stipulates an annual $10 million appropriation to the states, with much of this money set aside for training. This appropriation has been neither fully funded since enactment of the Mine Act in 1977, nor inflation-adjusted. In the aggregates industry, MSHA enforces two separate, yet similar, safety and health training regulations. Part 48 applies generally to underground operations, while Part 46 addresses surface facilities. In addition, substance-specific standards, such as noise, hazard communication and diesel regulations, carry unique training components.
TALKING POINTS:
- The Mine Act mandates miner training, and MSHA has promulgated an extensive set of supporting regulations. Serious violations of safety and health training regulations are accompanied by stiff penalties.
- NSSGA believes in comprehensive safety and health training for all miners and, on its own and in collaboration with others including MSHA, has committed its resources to implement quality training programs.
- The state grants program should be fully funded annually with adjustments made for inflation.
Updated: November 2008
