2016-13219: Exposure of Underground Miners to Diesel Exhaust

Summary

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is requesting information and data on approaches to control and monitor miners' exposures to diesel exhaust. Epidemiological studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have found that diesel exhaust exposure increases miners' risk of death due to lung cancer. In June 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified diesel exhaust as a human carcinogen. Because of the carcinogenic health risk to miners from exposure to diesel exhaust and to prevent material impairment of miners' health, MSHA is reviewing the Agency's existing standards and policy guidance on controlling miners' exposures to diesel exhaust to evaluate the effectiveness of the protections now in place to preserve miners' health.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 4 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 30 CFR 57 Safety and Health Standards—Underground Metal and Nonmetal Mines
• 30 CFR 70 Mandatory Health Standards—Underground Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 72 Health Standards for Coal Mines
• 30 CFR 75 Mandatory Safety Standards—Underground Coal Mines