Summary of Public Comment

Public Comment Summary for OMB# 1219-0141

The Emergency Mine Evacuation rule includes requirement for immediate accident notification applicable to all mines. In addition, it contained requirements for new and expanded training, including evacuation drills; self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) storage, training, and use; and the installation and maintenance of lifelines in underground coal mines.

Submission of training plans and programs of instruction and certification that training was done provides MSHA, operators, and miners with confidence that training is appropriate and was conducted as necessary, particularly when MSHA is not able to be at the mine. Without adequate training, miners may sustain serious or even fatal injuries because they lack the knowledge to properly and safely perform various tasks and activities or evacuate a mine.

MSHA received one comment on the Proposed Information Collection Request for Emergency Mine Evacuation, published in FR 63794 Vol. 74, No. 232, December 4, 2009.

The commenter agrees with the posting of the training plan on the mine bulletin board to inform miners about activities at the mine. The commenter also states that training plans are not information to be transferred electronically or by using other technological collection techniques.

The commenter also notes that the requirement for mine emergency evacuation and firefighting program of instruction has practical utility and should remain unchanged.

The commenter states that recordkeeping requirement for the mine emergency evacuation training and drills must be continued, and that if the records were kept electronically, it would be necessary to ensure that records be readily available to interested parties when requested.

The commenter states that recordkeeping requirement for related to the inspection, testing, maintenance and repair of self-rescue devices should also be continued, and that if the records were kept electronically, it would be necessary to ensure that records be readily available to interested parties when requested.

The commenter recommends that the map locations of self-contained self-rescuers standard remain unchanged and the requirement locations for stored SCSR’s remain on the mine maps.

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