MSHA General Requirements: Mining

Surface and Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mining

The following are guidelines for administering first aid training at surface mines as well as underground metal and nonmetal mines:

• An individual capable of providing first aid must be available on all shifts.
• The individual must be competently trained and have the skills to perform patient assessments, artificial respiration, shock treatment and wound and burn care, as well as treat musculoskeletal injuries and control bleeding.
• First aid training must be made available to all interested miners.

Underground Coal Mining

The mine operator must conduct first aid training courses for selected supervisory employees at the mine. Within 60 days of selection of a new supervisory employee to be so trained, the mine operator must certify by signature the name of the employee and the date on which the employee satisfactorily completed the first aid training course.

Per MSHA's regulations, all first aid training programs must include 10 hours of training in a course of instruction similar to that outlined in "First Aid, A Bureau of Mines Instruction Manual."

Refresher first aid training programs must include five hours of training. Each operator of an underground coal mine must conduct refresher first aid training programs each calendar year for all selected supervisory employees and make refresher first aid training courses available to all employed miners.

To learn more about Workplace First Aid visit our Workplace First Aid Online Training web page.